Lady Prince
by Mad Furry Cheshire Cat
Summary: After having a party trick played on her, Rachel finds herself in a strange time and place. Picked up by the ruthless Charlie Prince she finds there is a sad soul behind all the anger; will she find a way home? Charlie Prince/OFC!
1. Prologue

A/N: A pretty short and simple prologue to get this story going. I'm excited about this one so I'm hoping it'll work out well.

Prologue

Like most Friday evenings, the local New York bar was full of college students. Most of them were either playing pool or trying their luck at a make out session. One girl, however, remained silent in the corner, rolling her eyes at her friend who was flirting badly on the other side of the bar. The smoke was becoming thicker now, blinding the girl and making her cough. She shoved her empty glass across the dirty table and got to her feet, rushing out the side door quickly, ignoring protests from her peers.

"Hey Rach, where you goin'?" one voice came, followed by the distinct mumbling of someone else a few feet behind. Rachel looked up, straightening her back, and looked the girl she hardly knew in the eyes.

"I'm tired and I have work to do tomorrow," Rachel replied, slinging her long brown locks over her shoulder.

"It's Saturday. Live a little, girl!"

Rachel merely raised her hand in irritation and began her slow walk back to the apartment she shared with her new friend, Laura. The air was so much cooler and fresh out here compared to the grotty bar. Suddenly she heard calls from further down the road. "Rachel! Hey, Rach. Wait up!"

Shoving her hands into her over jacket, Rachel turned and waited, glancing at her watch for emphasis. Laura ran down the street in full stride, constantly pulling at her short skirt. "I just want to go home," Rachel said quietly, looking at Laura and then letting her gaze drift to the curb.

"Why do you always do that though? Rush off whenever we all have a party," Laura asked, walking beside her friend.

Rachel sighed and looked up to the sky, smiling weakly at the stars above. "It was hard moving here. And I've never been much of a party animal like you and your friends." Being a transfer student from England meant that Rachel had had to make friends all over again and learn a new way of life.

xxx

Loud music blasted away into the night as Rachel tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She grit her teeth and slung her pillows off the bed in fits of rage. "Will you turn that SHIT down?" she screamed to Laura and her gang of friends who had since turned up unexpectedly at the apartment. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she glanced over at a photo of her parents on the bedside table. She missed them more and more each day, wishing so much she'd have stayed at home. America wasn't her home.

Suddenly with no word of warning, her bedroom door burst open. "We're gonna see if somethin' works, wanna help us?" a Goth girl asked, her head appearing around the doorframe. She was dressed from head to foot in black and her small eyes peeped out from underneath layers of black and white make up. Rachel grimaced, finding it so hard to hold onto any chains of reason and sanity she had within her.

"I don't care what the hell you're doing. Just get the fuck out of my room!" Rachel screamed.

"Don't be like that. I'm sure it'll be fun." Immediately after those words, Rachel felt herself being dragged at by the Goth girl, who apparently wouldn't take no for an answer.

Ten minutes later and Rachel found herself surrounded by a group of half drunken people who had all come to gather around the coffee table in the living room. "You do realise that it's nearly four in the morning?" Rachel asked in a matter of fact tone. Laura ignored Rachel and grinned broadly, grabbing an old hat from a box of junk they've found earlier that morning down in the basement. The hat was black, looking like something from an old Western, full of dust and cobwebs. It had probably belonged to someone who had lived there previously.

The Goth girl held a strange looking book in her hand and began reading, her eyes fixed to the page, but a worrying smile was present between her black painted lips. Her brown eyes locked on Rachel for a moment as she read out the strange words.

_Take me to this time and place. A place where I will find the owner of this hat. Take me to this time and place. Open the portal to time and space; take me to this other time and place._

Suddenly, Rachel knew what was going on, making the air catch in her throat. There in the centre of the table next to the hat was one of her gloves. "You...," Rachel began, gasping and covering her face with her hand. Laura's laughs echoed through the living room, followed by a round of others. Full of anger and fright, Rachel got to her feet, not knowing whether to cry or shout.

Darkness suddenly enclosed the group, switching off all lighting in the apartment. Then one scream filled the room, cutting open the air like a knife...followed by silence.


	2. Greetings, Stranger

I'd like to dedicate this story to my wonderful friend, Christina, who has helped me so much in the progression of this story. I wouldn't have been able to see this project come to fruition without her assistance. Thank you so much!! I have never written a western story before so if there are things which seem off, I do apologise in advance. I have tried my hardest though by checking websites which talk about old Midwest towns.

**Chapter One**

A lone figure stood at the side of the crossroads relieving himself whilst whistling some old fancy tune his Ma used to sing to him as a child. A few feet behind him his horse neighed, feeling the intense heat and shifting from hoof to hoof. The bright mid day sun was high in the sky over the Arizona wastelands, hot and fierce. The man, known as Charlie Prince, stepped side, buckled up his belt and sighed. He removed his hat for a minute, brushing his leather-gloved hands loosely through his knotted blonde locks of hair. Sweat was slowly beginning to drip down his face, coming to rest in his golden beard.

It was far too hot to do much more, so he peeled off his leather jacket, tossing it into one of his saddle bags and gracefully lifted himself up onto his horse. Cooing softly, Charlie pressed the horse on.

xxx

The last raid Charlie had taken part in with Ben Wade and his gang had now made him a thousand dollars richer. Grinning from ear to ear, Charlie pressed on, listening to a murder of crows squawk overhead, calling to each other in union. It was just too damned hot out here now and there was nowhere in sight where Charlie could reside for a while to lay low. The small town of Two Guns was still a fair few miles away, making it at least a two hour ride. It was here that he'd planned to meet up with the Boss, Ben Wade, and share all the information he had on the weekly crossings down to Millville. It was known in this town that there was a large, brand new post office and bank. This meant plenty of stagecoaches passed through to deliver mail, and more importantly, money.

He started up into tune once more, humming his old bedtime lullaby. His piercing gaze remained locked on the patchy grass roads which twisted and turned in front of his horse's hooves. A gentle heat haze lingered on the horizon.

Suddenly with no word of warning, a high pitched, distinctly female scream hit the air. Charlie pulled on the horse's reins sharply, pursing his lips and knotting his eyebrows in confusion. Instinctively, his hand reached down for his pistol which was safely tucked away in his elaborately decorated holster. His gloved hand picked out the gun, fingering the trigger. "Whoever ya are, come out!" he ordered, jumping down from his saddle gracefully.

From behind a half-dying bush, a woman who looked no older than around twenty years of age, scrambled out on her hands and knees. "Please, can you help me? I have no idea how I ended up here," she asked, gasping for breath in sheer terror. Instantly he noticed that her accent was not American, but English.

Charlie approached, knowing that she was no threat to him…not many people were in these parts, especially a woman, a woman alone and unattended. His lips curled up into a small mischievous smile as he approached, looking down as she remained on her knees. The woman's large, scared green eyes remained glued to him. "What do ya mean you don't know how you ended up here?" Charlie asked, his tone tinged with dominance. "There ain't many ways to travel round here, mainly horse or train…And seein' as there ain't many train tracks in this area, I doubt you came that way."

"I know it's hard to believe," she continued again, this time getting awkwardly to her feet.

Charlie glanced at her rather strange clothing. She wore a pair of slacks and accompanying tunic with what looked like drawn animals on them. "What _the hell _are you wearin'?" Charlie asked, raising his eyebrow.

"They're….my pyjamas. My friends….I don't know what they did," she continued, stuttering. "I was there in the living room and they….um, did some kind of spell…where am I?"

"This is Arizona," Charlie said quickly, holding his pistol at arm's length.

"Please don't….I just need to know what's going on," the girl half screeched. "I don't mean any harm."

"You probably do. You're English!" Charlie growled.

"What's that got to do with anything? I live in America now; I moved here to go to college. Please, listen to me." She found herself completely bewildered by everything: where she was, the man and how strangely he was dressed…everything made no sense whatsoever. "What year is this?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows tightly in confusion as she looked over the way the stranger was dressed. _Another TIME and PLACE…._If she'd been transported to another place, then what year was this?

With a wicked grin on his face, Charlie knew what he'd do. This girl wasn't exactly the most beautiful of women, but she was quite pretty. She'd certainly be of some amusement to the rest of the gang. If her story was true, he didn't really care. Quickly, he rushed at the girl and grabbed her tightly by the arm, dragging her two arms then behind her back. The girl screamed out, kicking outwards, aiming for his shins, and if possible, a little higher. "Shut up and come here," Charlie shouted, his voice echoing through the air. "I'm sure some of mah friends will like to meet you," he whispered to her ear, letting his breath brush across her sensitive ear. "And it's eighteen eighty seven."

"Eighteen eight seven?!" the girl exclaimed loudly.

A few minutes later and the girl found herself bound and sitting in the saddle of the stranger's horse. "What's ya name? I'm sure ya have one," Charlie grunted, keeping his arms securely around her, holding the reins. It'd been a desperate struggle as she was pushed onto the horse, but having a gun to her head didn't hold much persuasion. Either get on the horse or be killed.

"Rachel!" the girl hissed.

"Nice to meet ya, Rachel," Charlie chuckled. "I'm Charlie, Charlie Prince."

"I don't really care what your name is, you bastard," Rachel growled back, straightening her back considerably to move away from him.

"Don't be so hostile. Enjoy the ride," Charlie said again, quickly brushing his finger down her knuckle.

"Get off me!" she demanded, pulling her hands from him.

Rachel closed her eyes, tired, scared and hungry as she sat in front of this man, feeling his breath, which stunk of stale whiskey, brush across her cheeks. The slow trot of the horse was enough to let her drift away for a few moments. Having never been on a horse before, Rachel found that she had to cling to the edge of the saddle for support, but due to the tiredness over taking her, her fingers released their grip repetitively. The heat made her sweat and all saliva in her mouth dry up, leaving nothing but thirst.

"We'll be in town soon, so don't go fallin' asleep on me," Charlie hissed, nudging her awake with his elbow.

Thoughts swirled around her brain, but the fatigue made her whole head spin with dizziness. The heat dug into her skin, feeling as though it were on fire. She swallowed hard, unable to feel anything moving down her throat, and gave out a gentle moan. "How…do you survive out here?" she asked, closing her eyes again and letting her head bob along with the movement.

Across the horizon there was still very little in sight, only abandoned cattle sheds, dirt roads and dying plants, taken by the sheer heat of this hell on Earth. Charlie only chuckled. "You've bin here five minutes and you're already complainin'? Typical woman."

Rachel gritted her teeth and pulled against the tight rope around her wrists, knowing it was no use and hung her head. This man obviously knew how to take captives and effectively keep them as just that. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked. Her tone was full of anger.

"Oh, I wouldn't wanna spoil that for ya," Charlie said quietly, grinning to himself and silently becoming appreciative of the company, no matter how annoying. At least he didn't have to trot on for miles, alone and unable to share any kind of communication with another human being.

A lump rose in Rachel's throat as she felt completely hopeless, knowing she wouldn't get away now. There was no way to get back home, unless the powers above granted her some kind of miracle. Dreaded thoughts of what would happen to her raced through her mind; disgusting leering men touching her and taking advantage. It made her feel physically sick.

The heat was becoming unbearable now as it dug into Rachel's clothes, stinging her skin. She groaned loudly, feeling as if her skin were stretching and gradually tearing apart.

Charlie grinned again at the pleasurable sound of her groaning. That sound was like music to his ears, making him wish she was groaning for him. But he had to press on and pushed the disgusting thoughts from his mind.

In clear view, Charlie soon made out the unmistakable form of the small town of Two Guns. "Right, we're here now!" he snapped, nudging Rachel in the back with his elbow.

"Don't touch me!" Rachel retorted evilly, matching his tone of voice. They continued on, watching the wooden buildings become larger.

On horseback, the outlaw and his hostage trotted past a cattle market, blacksmiths, butchers and then the hotel, positioned on the left, set slightly back amongst the other buildings. The town was fairly quiet, with only one or two people passing across the dirt tracks leading down the centre of the main street. Through the air, they could make out the rhythmic sound of the blacksmith hammering horseshoes. Mixed with that was the occasional sounds from the bulls at the market.

"Gotta find somewhere to put the horse for a while," Charlie told Rachel, steering the horse towards the hotel which looked fairly comfortable, with well dressed gentlemen and their lady friends walking in and out the ornately decorated doors.

Curious stares soon burned into the side of Rachel's face as she looked around, noticing the street fill up with more and more onlookers. It seemed as if this particular town didn't take well to foreigners.

Charlie stopped the horse and tossed his leg over the saddle, dropping down onto the dusty ground, his spurs digging into the dirt, cracking it open. Rachel's heart sped up considerably as she'd never been on a horse before and grew scared at the prospect of jumping down from one. "Come here," Charlie said impatiently, dragging Rachel by the arm and pulling her down from the horse. Rachel yelped, almost getting her socked foot caught in the stirrup. He didn't seem an overly large man, but Charlie sure had some strength in his arms. "You even think about runnin' or callin' for help and you'll be starin' down the barrel of mah pistol, understand?" he whispered to her, still holding her arm, reassuring that he meant every word.

A young boy, no older than around eleven years of age suddenly came running across to the new visitors. "Do you want ya horse taken to the stables, Mister?" he asked, looking up at Charlie with large innocent blue eyes.

"How'd ya guess?" Charlie asked, rolling his eyes.

The boy never noticed the sarcasm in Charlie's tone and grinned, tugging the large horse along by the reins to a designated stable especially for visitors' horses.

Rachel winced as she was half dragged through the dirt, her white socks growing grey. "Ugh!" she called out, staring down at her feet.

"Oh shut up and come on," Charlie demanded, pulling her up the steps. Rachel grit her teeth in anger as a sharp pain shot down her man-handled arm. His fingers gripped especially tight.

In the hotel, Charlie walked across with Rachel to the main bar area where a pretty maid waited to assist guests. "Can ah help you, Mister?" she asked, pushing a blonde curl from her slim face.

Other guests, who remained at their tables, drinking, playing Poker and generally participating in mindless conversation, looked up in curiosity. It had been noted by most of Charlie's hostile grip on Rachel's arm and the way he was dressed. But they knew better than to provoke an outlaw.

Charlie grinned at the maid, quickly glancing at her plunging neckline. His green eyes sparkled with desire which he pushed away quickly whilst grabbing a small bag of coins from the pocket in his white leather jacket which he held over his arm. "A room for two," Charlie said mischievously, whipping his perverse grin to Rachel. He then shoved five dollars across the bar to the maid which was paired with the clanking of the old coins.

Rachel shot a look of daggers at Charlie, her hands still tied together with dirty rope. "Come on," Charlie hissed, pushing his hand into Rachel's back and then glaring evilly at the patrons dotted about the bar.

"Your key, Mister," the maid called out, holding a jingling key between her long fingers. Charlie turned on his heel quickly, grabbing the key and yanking it hard from her hand. "First room on yah left." Charlie kept on walking, seeming to ignore her words.

The trek up the stairs was quick, but Rachel could distinctly hear and feel her heart racing in her chest. She could sense Charlie's leer behind her and distinctly heard his loud breathing.

Charlie shoved in front once they'd made their way to the top of the steps, the floorboards creaking beneath their feet. He pushed the stained key into the door, turning it and opened the door. Rachel found herself glued to the spot for a moment, her eyes surveying to the double bed in the centre of the room. "Um, you don't expect me to get in that with you?" she asked nervously, pointing a shivering finger in the direction of the bed. "There's no way I'm sleeping with you."

"Just get in here!" Charlie snapped, pulling on her bindings and slamming the door behind her. He made sure he locked the door securely and held the key in his hand, as if teasing her. "If you don't wanna sleep next to me then sleep on the cold floor…I don't care," he sneered, removing his hat and resting it on the oil lamp on the bedside table.

The air was considerably cooler in here and more comfortable as Charlietossed his jacket over a wooden chair in the corner of the room underneath the window. Then he slid his feet out of his boots, kicking them away and half threw himself down on the bed.

Rachel stared at her bound hands and then at the man who lay on the bed. Breath caught in her throat painfully as she felt tears well in her eyes. Why? She couldn't understand why this was all happening to her. How did she deserve this? To be sent to another time and place, captured and…well, she couldn't bare imagining the rest. That would come later. For the time being, she walked slowly across the small room to the chair and slid into it, biting on her thumb nail. The course fabric of the rope brushed against her top lip, but biting her nails had always been the answer to feeling scared.

She stared angrily at the dozing man and rolled her eyes. Why were all men such animals? To make things ten times worse, this was in a time when women were treated as property to men. No matter how strong Rachel knew or thought she was, nothing could help her here. Her training in Martial Arts was certainly NO match for a gun.


	3. Yes, Your Majesty

A/N: Thank you so much for all your kind reviews! I hope this second chapter is to your liking! ;)

_Chapter Two_

Rachel let herself drift into an uneasy slumber, her chin almost resting against her chest as her head slung forwards. Maybe it was all a nightmare and she'd wake up nice and snug back in her own bed, woken by Laura's calling for breakfast. But Charlie's loud incessant snoring drilled through her peaceful thoughts of home. "Oh, God," she hissed to herself, gritting her teeth and glaring evilly at her captor who was lying with his back to her.

A small clock above the bed chimed two 'o' clock, its quiet rings sounding out through the almost silent room. The bright sun shone through the grey net curtains which had been half slung up the window.

The door was locked, so there was no hope of escape for Rachel as her eyes darted around the room, searching for some kind of getaway. The key to the room was still in Charlie's waistcoat pocket. Even if Rachel could have got the key somehow, her hands were tightly bound, reminding her that there was no chance of escape.

Time ground by slowly as Rachel remained awake, although her mind drifted back and forth from time to time, the warmth of the room somehow persuading a sleep state to take over, but she resisted. The clock still continued to tick above Charlie's head...tick...tock...tick...Just that sound in itself drove Rachel crazy as she kept resisting the urge to sleep; she couldn't, no matter how warm the room was. There was no way she could allow herself to become so vulnerable with such an animal of a man in close proximity.

Suddenly, snoring loudly, Charlie stirred and rolled over, groaning into the pillow. "What time is it?" he demanded, his gloved hand searching over the edge of the bed.

"Erm, half three," Rachel announced timidly, trying hard to keep herself calm.

Charlie sat up quickly, brushing his hands through his thick mop of blonde hair. "How long I bin out?" he asked again, squinting through his tired eyelids and yawning.

"About an hour and a half," Rachel replied.

"Guess I'd better get you some new clothes. You ain't goin' about like that," Charlie insisted, pointing at Rachel's pyjamas as he tossed his legs over the side of the bed and yawned again.

"Leave it! I like my jim jams," Rachel spat back.

"Ya what?" Charlie asked, knotting his eyebrows.

Rachel sighed. "Forget it."

xxx

A short while later, Charlie picked up his cream leather jacket from the wooden chair and tossed it on around his shoulders, finishing his outfit by putting his Stetson back on, covering his dirty hair. "You stay here!" he said waspishly as he fastened the vertical row of gold buttons down his jacket.

"Like I'm going anywhere," Rachel said sarcastically, raising her hands to emphasise her point.

Charlie never answered and fiddled with his pistols, making sure each one was fully loaded just in case anyone down in the town asked too many unwanted questions. With no word whatsoever, Charlie slammed the door behind him, which was soon followed by the distinct sound of the door being locked.

Down in the main town, residents milled about, going about their usual daily business as Charlie walked swiftly across the dirt road towards a small store. In the window were sets of outfits, hung up for any customers to see before purchasing.

Inside the store was quiet, with only the faint chatter from the store owner as he finished off a late lunch and gave any left-over's to his pet dog. Charlie glanced around the plain shop and let his gaze drift across the racks of clothing, all suited for any age and size. The women's section was only a few feet away on his left, towards the small counter at the very back of the store.

"Can ah help you, sir?" a short balding man asked, stepping out of a little back room. His grey shirt and black waistcoat stretched over his rounded belly. Hoping his newest customer wouldn't notice, he grabbed his silver flask and took quick mouthful of whiskey, letting it glide down his throat and soothe his nerves. But suddenly, after taking his eyes off the stranger for just a couple of seconds, he gasped loudly, almost dropping his flask. Charlie stared at him, resting his arm on the wooden counter.

"Yeah, ya can help me. I need some clothes for a young woman," Charlie requested.

"Well, we have a lot of that stuff, sir. Unless ya need something in particular," the middle aged man replied, growing scared of Charlie's wicked glare and smirk.

"Show me what ya got," Charlie insisted. "I ain't fussy."

Limping slightly, a constant reminder of an old battle wound, the middle aged fellow emerged from behind the counter and guided Charlie over to long racks and stacks of ladies clothing. "It's mainly dresses we sell for the ladies," he said quietly, not wanting to make eye contact with his customer.

"It'll do. Give me say three of em'," Charlie demanded, turning back around to glance over the men's clothing. "She'll make do with what I give her."

Before leaving the clothes store, Charlie shoved a handful of coins over the counter to the man, grinned and left abruptly. Holding the dresses over his arm, Charlie felt numerous piercing gazes from all around him. But he plodded on, heading back to the hotel to Rachel.

Rachel sighed and felt her heart beat quicker as she heard the sound of the hotel room opening. She held her breath and waited, seeing the unmistakable form of Charlie Prince enter slowly. Immediately his eyes locked on hers and he threw the three dresses down onto the bed venomously. "Try em' on," he told her, removing his hat and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"How can I try them on with my hands tied?" Rachel snapped, retreating back a little into her chair as she saw the flash of anger burst out on his face.

Getting up to his feet, Charlie grit his teeth and unbound Rachel impatiently, never taking his eyes away from hers. "You even think about runnin' and I'll put a bullet in you, I swear," he threatened, tossing the bindings into the corner of the room.

"Yes, your majesty," Rachel snorted.

"Don't even think about comin' out with THAT one!" Charlie roared, standing up to his full height, his shadow eclipsing her.

It only took a couple of seconds for it to sink in, the comedy of her words; _your majesty_. Charlie Prince! Rachel couldn't help but giggle. Realising her words and seeing his face twist with so much venom was too much for her. "Don't ya DARE laugh!" Charlie shouted again, but this time he couldn't help feel a slight smirk curl on his lips at the sound of her giggles. "Come on!" he began again, regaining his straight-faced expression. "Try these on."

"I'm not wearing these," Rachel protested, picking up each gown and looking at them in disgust.

"You will wear what I tell ya!" Charlie snapped fiercely.

"You wear them!" Rachel shouted, dropping them on the wooden floor boards.

"You're gonna seriously have to learn to hold ya tongue," Charlie snapped back, his voice growing loud again. "Just caus' you're a woman doesn't mean I'll go easy on ya."

Rachel snorted again. "It doesn't look like you go easy on anyone."

Charlie looked down at the dresses which had been thrown down at Rachel's feet and he sighed. Why was she so damn awkward? Most women just did what they were told, but she couldn't. All she did was protest and moan. Anger was burning inside him again. She'd wear those dresses whether she liked it or not.

Quickly, Charlie grabbed at Rachel's pyjama shirt and yanked hard on it. "You'll wear what I tell ya, _Rachel_!" he growled in her ear, pulling her body up to his. Rachel yelped in surprise and tugged back as hard as she could, seeing her only opportunity and let her knee connect with his groin.

Moving away in pain, Charlie groaned, resting his hands around his kneed genitals. "You bitch!" he squealed loudly. Tears of pain welled in his eyes as the pain flourished in his most private region.

Rachel prayed for a way out, her eyes wide as if she were a startled rabbit out on the highway, staring into the headlights of a fast approaching vehicle. She watched him tighten his hand into a fist and awaited his reaction with sheer terror in her expressions. But she didn't want him to know she was terrified. Her heart may have been pulsating the fastest she'd ever felt, but she wasn't going to let him win.

The man was sure stealthy on his feet and seemed to glide through the air at an amazing speed, where he grabbed Rachel by her shoulders and slammed her down into the bed. He held her down, feeling her writhe beneath his angry grip.

Her face grew red as determination surged through her veins. She WOULDN'T let him win! No man would EVER take advantage anymore.

His gaze burned into hers, but slowly he released his tight grip and continued to stare into the deep depths of her emerald eyes. Rachel stopped struggling for a moment and calmed herself, watching his face grow softer. Amazingly, her heart beat slowed down and her breaths became fewer.

Charlie took his hands away from her shoulders, never taking his eyes from hers and got up, turning away swiftly on his heel as he did so. Rachel shot up quickly, unable to unglue her eyes from him. The shaking had ceased, her heartbeat was steady and her breath was calm.

"I'll get ya some more clothes in the mornin'," Charlie said over his shoulder. "For now, I'll go and get some food." Not even looking at her, Charlie stormed out the room once more, leaving Rachel speechless and confused. Why had he suddenly changed his tune so quickly?

Downstairs, Charlie stood by the bar holding a handful of money, and awaited for the pretty maid who had checked him in earlier. "Can I get some service, please?!" he called through, banging his hand down into the dusty wooden surface.

"Yeah, Mister?" the maid asked in a non-fussed attitude, placing her hand on her hip. She instantly remembered his rudeness from earlier and decided to return the bad attitude.

"I want dinner sent up into mah room, for two," he stated directly, placing more dollar coins onto the bar.

"But we don't..." the maid began, but was instantly cut off by an immensely aggravated Charlie.

"You do now! Make it good, will ya?" With those last demanding words, Charlie left the bar area and plodded back up the stairs slowly, sighing to himself and silently awaiting the day he could be out of here with the Boss. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long and they'd be out on another raid, stealing more money and generally causing havoc among the nearby towns of Arizona.

Rachel watched Charlie re-enter the room and looked away quickly as he sat down on the bed. "We should be gettin' some food shortly," he commented, unfastening his jacket once again. "Flash some money and you're good ta go."

"I've never had to do that," Rachel replied placidly. Knowing there was no way out, it was only best she somehow try and show some kind of interest towards the man. She had no idea how she was going to get back home, and he was the only person she had. At least it was a start. "So, can I ask exactly what you do?"

Charlie looked at her in distaste. "Whatcha mean what I do?"

"I mean as in a job. What do you do for a living?" she asked, secretly knowing his answer. The way he was dressed, acted and spoke gave everything away...he was a cowboy, outlaw, gunslinger. The real John Wayne deal.

"I ride with a gang and we just steal shit," Charlie announced plainly, putting his feet up on the bed and placing his hands under his head on the pillow. "Better way of livin' I always say. Don't have to work hard for jack shit."

"Don't you ever regret hurting people and stealing though?" Rachel asked, leaning forwards and growing more interested in him.

"Why ya askin' me all this?" Charlie snapped defensively. "Am I askin' you questions? No, well shut ya mouth."

"At least I actually care about people," Rachel retorted. "I don't take people for granted and hurt them just for my own benefit."

"Alright, you're all up for questions tonight," Charlie said suddenly, resting on his arm, facing her. "What's it that you do which is so special?" He smirked as he asked, enjoying making fun of her.

"I go to college because I want to be a writer," she said calmly, folding her arms.

"A writer? And that's so special, is it?" Charlie asked, chuckling evilly.

Rachel rolled her eyes and rested back in the seat, glancing out through the net curtains to the streets below. "I enjoy writing stories. Is that so stupid?" she asked sadly, thinking back to all the people who had made fun of her through the years for putting her creative talent to good use. Laura had always been the worst for it, constantly teasing her for being a hermit, sitting in her own fantasy world.

Charlie saw the sadness in her eyes and decided not to go any further with the matter, but just to leave it rest for now. "Mah Boss, Ben Wade loves ta draw things. He'll choose the most random things, so no, it's not stupid."

A gentle tap at the door broke them from their conversation. Charlie got to his feet and opened the door, only to find the maid standing outside with a tray especially made for two guests with plates of food. "I'll take it," he said quickly, grabbing the tray from her and shutting the door again.

"It smells nice," Rachel said with a grin, feeling her stomach churn and rumble at the very smell of the freshly cooked food. "That smells like freshly baked bread." Glancing across the food hungrily, she took note of the bowls of soup, bread, eggs and bacon. "I haven't eaten for hours now."

Charlie never answered and began to tuck in straight away, absolutely famished after not eating for the last day. He broke off some of the bread and dunked it eagerly into the hot soup, smiling in delight at the thick texture sliding down his throat, mingled with the rich meaty taste.

"Looks like you're enjoying that," Rachel said, giggling at Charlie's eagerness to finish off his tasty meal. He threw down his fork and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after finishing, leaving Rachel with over half her plate still loaded with food.

"Erm, if you're still hungry, you can have some of mine if you like. I'm getting full," Rachel said kindly, pushing her plate to him across the bed sheets as they both sat on opposite sides.

"Thanks," Charlie replied, picking off some of Rachel's food with his fork.

She merely smiled to herself and lowered her head. "Charlie? Can I ask you something?" Rachel asked suddenly, still chewing remnants of bacon.

"If ya must," Charlie replied, eating Rachel's left over's with vigour.

"Why don't you think my writing is stupid? I'm just curious of course, but you said about your boss liking drawing," she enquired. She watched Charlie as he tensed a little and then looked in her direction, but his gaze seemed to dart this way and that, until it finally rested on her.

"Is that all ya do? Ask questions?" he said sternly.

"Look, I'm just making conversation with you, and I did let you have my meal. That's got to count for something," Rachel replied, smiling at him, trying to get him to return a smile like he had before.

Charlie sighed and dropped his fork onto the tray, letting it clatter. "Nothin' the Boss does is stupid. He's practically a father to me, so I know what it's like to have somethin' you enjoy."

"You seem to think the world of him," Rachel commented, smiling gently at him, although feeling sorry for his vacant, yet sorrowful expression.

"He saved mah life," Charlie replied softly, letting his usually rough voice become soft and trail off.

"How?" Rachel asked again, drawing her leg up under her body and resting against the pillow on the bed.

"He has a gun and knows how ta use it, alright?" Charlie snapped, rising to his feet. "Enough with the damn questions!"

"I'm sorry," Rachel exclaimed as she saw him move closer to her, his eyes burning again in anger.

"Ugh!" Charlie growled and eased his posture, drawing back from her. "Get some sleep, you'll be needin' it for when the Boss gets here."


	4. Prince Charming

A/N: Thank you so much for all the kind reviews. I hope you like the next chapter! This is for you...

**Chapter Three**

As the moon rose higher in the air outside the window, Charlie rested himself back into the comfortable seat, pulling the net curtain aside now and again with a long finger to take in the view of the town below. Rachel was lying on the bed, her one hand resting under the side of her face on the pillow. The rich dinner still felt heavy in her stomach. She stifled a burp, feeling it rise in her throat then voluntarily pushed it back.

Everything had been silent between her and Charlie for a while now after her series of irritating questions. He'd chosen to seek temporary solitude in his own thoughts as he fingered his one pistol uneasily in his hand. Questions about his relationship with Ben Wade always made him feel uneasy. Why couldn't people just keep their thoughts and questions to themselves?

Slowly Rachel let her mind drift away to another place, watching swirling shapes form behind her eyelids. All her senses seemed to blur into nothing as sleep took her away. For the first time during the many hours she'd spent in this time and place, she felt inner peace.

Charlie watched Rachel close her eyes and tried his hardest to think back on the last time he'd watched a woman fall asleep. He watched her forehead crease and her lips purse together as she writhed a little, curling her arms around herself. For a brief moment he found himself wondering what she was imagining, but discarded that thought immediately afterwards, placing his attention back on his pistol.

Glancing quickly at the clock, Charlie read the Roman numerals which told him it was just after eight. It looked as though they'd both be facing an early night tonight. Pushing his hat forwards, covering any sign of his tired eyes, he rested back in the chair and folded his arms.

xxx

Rachel woke with a start, glancing around the dark room quickly and gasping. For a brief second she lost all knowledge of where she was, only to be brought back to reality by Charlie's snores. A small strip of moonlight shone through the curtains, dancing across his face. Positioning herself on the edge of the bed, Rachel looked at Charlie for a couple of seconds, letting her green gaze drift down his body. His pistol was in his lap, his head rested against the back of the chair and his arms remained folded.

By now Rachel knew she badly needed to relieve herself, but it was late. She knew this because there was very little in the way of sound out in the town below. The only light in the room was the thin strip of moonlight which illuminated Charlie and nothing else.

Pressure was building in her stomach as she let her eyes flit around the room. Realisation hit her hard: Charlie still had the key to the door. It was in his waistcoat pocket. If only she could somehow take it without him knowing, let herself out...and what then? Should she run?

The door somehow seemed miles away and the prospect of successfully grabbing the key from Charlie, letting herself out without waking him and getting to some kind of outhouse was bleak. The idea of waking him crossed her mind, but how would he react?

Calming her gasps, Rachel thought rationally about everything. As if anything WAS rational. She was sitting here with an outlaw, trapped in a hotel room, ready to be given to a gang for their disgusting satisfying purposes. But she wasn't going to let that terror show; she'd told herself that earlier on in the afternoon. Remain strong. Don't let on how you really feel inside. Rachel had become an expert at this kind of thing by now. For years she'd kept herself to herself, saying little in social gatherings and sticking with only herself for any kind of responsibility. As a child she'd concluded that it was better that you rely solely on yourself. If you let yourself down, you only have yourself to blame. Now at the age of twenty, Rachel knew she couldn't continue on this way.

Getting up from the bed slowly, Rachel grimaced as she tried hard not to step on any loose, creaky floorboards.

_Please, please, please. Help me. _Her internal voice kept praying, hoping for some way out of this place. Her hand reached out, touching the sheets and crushed dresses which Charlie had brought for her earlier. She felt her way around the edge of the bed, using the outline of Charlie as her guide.

Her heart continued thumping whilst her cheeks burned and her throat grew dry, almost as dry as when she was in the scorching heat that very afternoon. She closed her eyes again as she approached Charlie, her hand reaching out towards him. Suddenly he grunted in his sleep, his mouth wide open and twisted to one side.

Sighing, Rachel continued on forwards, catching sight of a slight bulge in his waistcoat pocket. She reached down...further and further, her heart racing, her breathing quickened by the terror. Her eyes were wide now, watching Charlie intently as she stepped closer still, almost upon him.

Rachel's hand shook and beats of sweat dripped down from under her long strands of brown hair. Her fingers brushed ever so gently across the soft fabric of Charlie's blue waistcoat. She swallowed hard, trying not to shut her eyes.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Charlie roared ferociously, his eyes suddenly opening. Rachel shot back on her feet, stumbling uneasily to the floor. Charlie rose up from the chair, holding his pistol in his hand. "I told ya, if ya try and bolt, I put a bullet in ya."

In sheer desperation and panic, Rachel pushed herself backwards across the wooden flooring on her backside. Her socked feet slid in all directions across the surface. "P..please, I just needed the toilet," Rachel protested. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Bullshit!" Charlie shouted. "I ain't stupid, Rachel, so don't treat me like I am."

Quickly, Charlie got down on his knees and grabbed Rachel's small arm, tightening his gloved hand around it. "Ah may as well just left ya out there to die of hunger and thirst. Ya ain't worth the trouble." He pulled her up fiercely, literally dragging to her feel awkwardly. Her legs shook beneath her curvy frame. "You wanna go piss, I'll take ya."

"Take me?" Rachel asked, tugging a little under his grip. "I'm not five years old anymore." Her heart still raced as he pulled her along with him to the door.

"Ya certainly act like ya are," Charlie scoffed, opening the creaky wooden door with the key from his waistcoat pocket. Rachel still remained firmly beneath his tight grip, desperately trying to keep up with his quick pace.

Together Charlie and Rachel walked down the flight of carpeted steps and into the main saloon area where drunken men still remained, washing away their worries with whiskey and ale. The clock on the wall showed that is was already have past midnight, not long until closing time when the maid would have to throw all the last customers out.

In the darkness of the main high street, Charlie suddenly stopped after dragging Rachel around tables and down the steps leading into the hotel and accompanying saloon. His eyes searched the night air for any signs of an outhouse.

Rachel tugged hard and pulled herself free suddenly. "You don't have to drag me around with you everywhere like a bloody child!" she shouted at him.

Charlie glared at her angrily. "What the hell did ah tell you about ya tongue? You're becoming one mouthy little bitch! Just get in there, have ya piss and if you even dare do anythin' funny, ya know what happens."

"I don't know where it is," Rachel replied, sighing.

"Ya got eyes, ain't ya?" Charlie hissed through clenched teeth.

Rachel rolled her eyes, finding Charlie more amusing than anything when he was angry, but that amusement was teetering somewhere on the fine line which crossed into fright. She never bothered to glance back behind her, and began her search for the outhouse. Her bladder was under intense pressure now, threatening to burst.

Everything seemed to blur inside her mind. Here she was in Arizona, back over a hundred years previously and was walking an old cowboy town in nothing but her pyjamas searching for somewhere to relieve her aching bladder. No matter how many times Rachel asked herself if this was all an extremely vivid dream, she always knew the answer; this was far from a dream.

There was a stinging chill to the air that evening. Rachel walked slowly on, feeling the chill spread to each part of her trembling body. It crossed her mind once more: should she run? But she knew it would do no good. Where could she go this time of night in the dark? God knows what was out there. She couldn't ride a horse and would be at risk of falling from the saddle and breaking her neck.

Charlie waited by the steps, his green eyes searching for Rachel through the darkness. He was tired and still hungry. That meal from earlier had only filled one small corner of his stomach, he needed more. The dirt at his feet was kicked viciously by his brown boot whilst he glanced down at his dirty fingernails.

Who exactly was this girl? It confused the hell out of him but he decided to just go along with it all and see exactly how this girl could be of use to him. She was nicely proportioned and had pretty eyes: a deep forest green. The thought of taking advantage of her had crossed his mind, but he sensed 'something' inside her. The way she back-answered and challenged him. No other woman had ever had the courage to put up such a fight.

Rachel squatted down, holding herself above the dirty wood as she relieved her aching bladder. The smell was putrid, churning her stomach and bringing back the food she'd eaten earlier. Somewhere behind her she could hear the faint buzzing of flies, causing her to wretch suddenly and almost fall to her knees.

Charlie sighed as he waited and sat down on the step leading back into the hotel. For a brief moment he thought of the Boss, hoping he'd be here soon so they could get back out there on raids. All the years he'd rode with Ben, he'd never felt a sense of accomplishment like it. He was the right hand man to one of the most notorious and famous outlaws in America. But sometimes Charlie missed the ordinary life he'd left behind him all those years ago after the death of his younger brother, Tom. He couldn't help but smile as he thought back on the happy days he spent with his brother, teaching him to ride his first horse and playing in the nearby fields. That happiness was never meant to last long. The Prince brothers were usually tormented verbally and physically by their drunkard father, crying long into the night for some kind of escape.

"Ya took ya time," Charlie said quietly, glancing up at Rachel as she approached. Her face was as white as snow.

Rachel's eyes were slightly glazed as she tried desperately to fight back the urge to let go of the entire contents of her stomach. "Remind me next time to just squat in a ditch and do it there," Rachel said, walking up the steps in front of Charlie.

Back in the room, Rachel dropped onto the bed and closed her eyes, feeling dizzy and completely swamped with nausea. She watched Charlie slowly position himself back down on the seat next to the window as she glanced through a half open eye. "Good night," she said weakly, rolling back over to face the opposite direction.

Charlie remained silent and settled himself down, watching the night grow older.

xxx

The next morning Rachel rose early to the sound of Charlie tapping his foot against the dusty floorboards while he remained seated. "Did you know ya talk in ya sleep?" he asked suddenly as he noticed her wake. He sat forwards, leaning towards her. "Ya never shut up, do ya?" he asked, chuckling.

"I know I do. I have since I was little," Rachel snapped back. "What? Do you think you're so perfect?" she said again, rubbing a hand through her tangled locks. Memories of her dreams came back to her, dreams of being home with her family.

Charlie merely scoffed to himself and turned away, allowing the warm morning sun to bathe his face. "Those dresses ain't gonna just lie there," he said, changing topic suddenly. "Ah plan on takin' ya out this evenin'."

"Oh really? Play the Prince Charming," Rachel retorted, letting her face brighten up into a smile as she realised her slip up once again.

Charlie's face remained stern but as he watched her laugh, he couldn't help but smirk. "Ya really know how to joke about mah name, don'tcha?" he asked, grinning.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, lowering her head, a smile still visible. "I've known people with worse surnames."

xxx

The day ground by slowly as Rachel remained in the small, enclosed bedroom with only Charlie for any kind of amusement. But their conversations were few and far between. Most of the time he remained by the window, in his own thought. Their breakfast tray lay on the bedside table along with a bottle of whiskey which Charlie had requested down in the main bar around midday.

Rachel, as inquisitive as she was, noticed a small drawer in the bedside table. Her hand reached out and pulled it open, discovering a tatty old book inside. Her hand brushed down the dusty front which had two golden letters written across the black, leather-like surface. "What's that?" Charlie asked suddenly, noticing her small discovery.

"I don't know," Rachel said, her brow crumpling as she crossed her legs on the bed and opened the very first page. "The diary of Ronald .G. Smith," Rachel read out.

"Lemme look," Charlie called out, grabbing the book from her small hands quickly. His eyes darted over the first page, unable to understand the words. "T...the...d...day," he began, stumbling heavily on the most simple of words.

Rachel moved over toward him, glancing over his shoulder. "The day began with such wonderful news," she read out.

Charlie swallowed hard, feeling stupid as he listened to her voice flow so elegantly with the words. Venomously, Charlie got to his feet and tossed the book onto the bed. He crossed his arms tightly and stood by the window, feeling sadness once again rise in his heart. "You okay?" Rachel asked, approaching Charlie from behind, but still maintaining her distance.

"Yeah!" he snapped. "No...," he said again, growling to himself. He clenched his hands into fists, thinking of all those nights his Ma read to him, trying hard to help him, but sadly she never succeeded. Tom had been so good at his reading and picked everything up so easily, leaving Charlie in shame and to his father's boot.

"_Ya was always stupid, Charlie!" his Pa shouted, dragging nine year old Charlie to the floor. __"Can't even read ya own name!" Charlie burst into tears, feeling hot rods of pain stab him continuously over his slim body. _

"_No, Pa. Please!" he screamed as his Ma covered Tom's ears, weeping for her older son. _

Charlie's eyes filled with sadness as he thought on the heart wrenching memories, re-living them so vividly in his mind. "Ah can't read," he said quietly to Rachel. He remained in front of the window, staring intently down at the bull market below.

Rachel stepped a little closer warily.

"Pa would say I was stupid," Charlie admitted.

"You're not stupid, Charlie," Rachel replied, feeling herself actually feel sorry for the outlaw. He had his weakness just like everyone else in the world. "Some people find it hard."

"Get dressed. We're goin' out later," he announced suddenly, turning around and glaring into her eyes. He couldn't believe that he'd actually told her something so personal about himself. Part of him feel somehow relived, but he hated feeling so vulnerable and weak. Charlie Prince was not weak and would never show any signs of it in his personality.

xxx

Rachel didn't argue and did as directed: got dressed into one of the dresses. She felt utterly ridiculous under the red frills and thick corset which made her feel like her body was imploding. "Charlie, do I have to wear this?" she asked, stepping up to the outlaw and holding her arms limp at her side. "It looks stupid."

Through Charlie's eyes Rachel looked far from stupid. His lusting gaze dipped over every crevice of her curvy body and came to rest on her generous breasts which were accented by the tight satin fabric. He hadn't lain with a woman now in two months and was feeling that need to satisfy himself. He blinked suddenly, throwing himself out of his sudden train of thought and grabbed her arm possessively, guiding her out the room.

Rachel nearly tripped up over her dress as she and Charlie walked down the steps, gradually becoming noticed by the patrons taking up the seats in the bar on the lower level of the hotel. Rachel's heart pounded as she noticed leering stares from dirty looking men. She felt truly disgusted and looked away, trying to concentrate on the old man who was serving behind the bar. "What might I getcha?" he asked, smiling politely at Charlie.

"Anythin' ya got," Charlie replied. "Surprise me."

Within only two minutes a sturdy built man approached Rachel, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Ah'll double ya usual going rate, darlin'" he said perversely, grinning and showing off his broken and stained teeth.

Charlie spun on his heel, noticing the man and grabbed his pistol from his holster. "Ya'll be chokin' on lead if ya touch her," he said suddenly, letting his eyes glaze with hatred.

Rachel breathed heavily and felt her head spin suddenly as she contemplated her next move. The door wasn't very far and without even thinking, she dashed. It was her only way out now; she couldn't stand being here.

"Rachel?" Charlie shouted, shoving his pistol back in the holster and following her out of the bar, ignoring the man's evil sniggers. His eyes remained glued to the back of her red dress as he darted out of the hotel and watched her dash.

Gasping and near to tears, Rachel fled across the street, hearing roaring protests as a huge shadow approached and the neighing of frightened horses. With no word or warning she felt herself being pushed forwards and fell hands first down into the dirt. As she gathered her courage, Rachel turned back to see a stagecoach charge on past and Charlie gripping her tightly.


	5. Rachel's Uses

**Chapter Four**

Rachel and Charlie immediately returned to the hotel room after her mad dash and close encounter with the speeding stagecoach. The air had grown tight with tension as Charlie opened the door angrily, shoving Rachel inside and slamming it abruptly behind him.

"What did ah tell you about runnin'?" Charlie shouted, watching Rachel crumple up into a sobbing ball on the bed. She placed her hands around her legs which she'd pulled up to her chest and rocked backwards and forwards rhythmically.

"I got scared. That man thought I was a prostitute," Rachel half stuttered, looking up into the outlaw's angry eyes. "I have respect for myself, okay?"

"And dashin' like that almost killed ya!" Charlie roared.

Rachel shook as he shouted, juddering against the bed sheets and tightening her grip around her knees. Fright engulfed her at the sound of Charlie's voice, making her shake harder. "I…got…scared," she muttered, chewing on her thumb nail anxiously. "Don't tell me you're so fearless." With that, Rachel looked up at Charlie who sighed and rested himself down on the edge of the bed.

"We all get scared from time to time, but ya have to keep a wise brain inside that head'a yours," Charlie replied, his voice growing quiet in comparison to his previous roaring. His eyes searched for her from under the edge of his hat brim and grew softer in compassion.

"I don't belong here, Charlie," Rachel said again, looking at him, her small lips juddering as she fought away another round of tears. "Everything about this place scares me; I want to go home, back to mom and dad."

Charlie smiled weakly and turned his head away for a brief second, contemplating, before he turned back to look at her. "Ah wish ah had parents to go back to," he said quietly.

Rachel shifted uneasily on the bed, taking her arms from around her knees. "Can I ask what happened?" she asked timidly.

"Ah never told anyone this before, so God only knows why ah'm tellin' you," he began, removing his black hat and glancing at it for a second. "Mah Pa was a drunk and he'd always come home ready to beat me. Ah took it at first, but when he started on mah brother, Tom, ah couldn't take it no more. Mah brother was sick and he still hit him, so when Tom died ah caught outta Pa and gave back to him what he gave to me and Tom. Then ah run away. Later ah heard that Pa died from the drink and Ma killed herself. Ah even have to carry round the name of that bastard; his name was Charlie too."

"Why don't you change your name?" Rachel proposed.

Charlie hung his head. "Ah thought about it from time to time, but is it worth it now?"

"I'm sorry," Rachel said quietly. "No one should have to go through that."

"Then I found Ben Wade and he let me ride with him, but ah still to this day don't even know where they buried Tom. Ah can't even go and see him," Charlie continued, becoming lost in his memories, yet feeling some kind of relief. "He was such a handsome kid," he said with a broad smile, yet his eyes were full of sadness and remembrance. "He got all the looks."

Rachel giggled lightly, watching Charlie as he looked up at her. "I wouldn't say that," she said quietly, smiling at him again. Through her eyes, Charlie was indeed handsome, although the facial hair he sported wasn't usually to her liking in the opposite sex, but on Charlie it somehow looked right.

"You'd better get some sleep," Charlie replied, ignoring her words referring to his looks. "The Boss should be here tomorrow. Ah hope so anyway." With that, Charlie got up from the bed and headed for the room door. "Ah'll be back later," he said simply and shot out the door, never even bothering to lock it this time.

Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Rachel leaned back on the bed and rested her dark head against the white pillow. She couldn't understand why his general attitude had changed towards her so quickly. The man was so unpredictable. Never even noticing, Rachel's lips drew into a small smile as she closed her eyes.

Eyes watched Charlie as he stepped into the bar area and up to the pretty maid who as making sure there was enough drink to keep the patrons satisfied for the rest of the evening. "Whiskey, please," Charlie said quietly, not able to look the maid in the eyes. Immediately he began inspecting his dirty fingernails which peeped from his cut off gloves. Whilst the maid poured a shot of whiskey, Charlie let his gaze drift from under the brim of his hat and move around the room.

The fat man who had intimidated Rachel earlier, causing her almost fatal dash was still seated in the corner of the room. His beady eyes stared at Charlie as he drew on his cigar. Charlie felt the unwanted gaze burning into the back of his neck as he leaned on the bar, awaiting his drink. "Here ya are," the pretty maid said politely, placing the shot of whiskey next to Charlie's outstretched hand across the bar. The whiskey soothed him somewhat as it slid down his throat, leaving behind a long trail of fire. But it soothed his nerves which had been put on edge since his unexpected conversation with Rachel.

Charlie tightened his hand into a fist and lowered his head, trying hard to ignore the still staring man from across the room. "Where's ya little whore?" a deep, gruff voice came suddenly from behind. A stale breath swept across the base of Charlie's neck, causing him to grimace. "Ah hope she didn't harm that pretty little body'a hers."

Seething in pure anger, Charlie turned suddenly on his heel, grabbing the fat man's neck and pressed hard. His long fingers buried themselves in the folds of fat and double chin of the man. The man's brown eyes widened in shock as he gagged for breath. "Ya don't wanna mess with me!" Charlie growled evilly, watching his face turn bright red and his large mouth open in search for badly needed air.

Patrons watched in amazement and fear. The maid who was serving customers held a glass in her hand and a cloth in the other, glued in position as she watched Charlie. She didn't dare try and intervene in arguments and fights. That was down to the boss' discretion, and most of the time he just watched from the bar as testosterone-charged men stood their ground, but immediately became distracted by something else and later forgot about the very reason the argument began.

"Not makin' trouble again ah hope, Charlie," a familiar voice came from the door.

Charlie spun around, still holding the fat man's neck in his grasp. A faint smile spread across his thin lips as he watched Ben Wade enter the saloon, complete with Kinter, Campos, Jackson and Tommy Darden in tow. Upon sight of the Boss, Charlie released the man from his grip and watched him stare at him a few seconds before turning around and returning swiftly to his previous seat in the corner.

"Good ta see ya, Charlie," Ben said, giving his second in command a broad smile. Jackson, a red-haired, heavy built man, immediately walked in the direction of the bar, ready to order a round of drinks.

"Good ta see you too, Boss," Charlie replied, smiling in return and seating himself with the rest of the gang at the back of the saloon. "Got plenty of news."

Charlie in turn reported all information he had gathered on the opening of the new post office and bank down in the town of Millville. "A coach passes down that way every week, deliverin' money an' mail. But caus' it's only just bin built, ah reckon there'll be a shit loada money goin' down there. What use is a new bank without money?"

Ben leaned in, trying to shield the conversation from prying ears and eyes. "What day do they pass through?" he asked, his face stern and almost expressionless.

"Tuesdays, Boss."

"That gives us two days to catch up with it. Millville is about fifty miles from here. It's gonna mean continuous ridin' for a day and a half at least," Ben said, removing his black hat and brushing his hands through his dark locks of hair.

Tommy turned to face the Boss, his young face full of enthusiasm. "Come on, ah'm sure we can manage it. We got here in a day's ride. This is the best break in ages for us."

Charlie's green gaze locked on Ben. "Whatcha say, Boss?"

With a sigh, Ben looked at each of his men in turn. "Lets do it," he said simply, then rested back in his seat, downing his latest shot of whiskey.

"Ah kinda have somethin' else to tell ya, Boss," Charlie said suddenly, lowering his head. He knew he'd have to tell them all about Rachel. She was alone and needed protection. Something inside him knew that he couldn't leave her to fend for herself. All those years ago Ben had been generous enough to allow him to become a member of the outfit and practically raise him through his teenage years. The least Charlie could do was help Rachel out and reflect Ben's generosity in his own way.

"What ya mean kinda?" Ben asked.

"Ah met a girl on the way here," Charlie began, instantly noticing interest from the other men. Tommy grinned perversely and Jackson leaned in closer. Campos, however, remained quiet as usual. "She has no one and nearly died tonight. The least we can do is help her out."

"What makes ya think I'm gonna take a girl in?" Ben asked, his eyes growing darker in irritation. "Let her make her own way. She'd only hold us back."

"Boss, she has no one and ah think she could be of help," Charlie said again, keeping his eyes locked on the table beneath his fidgeting hands.

"How could she help us, Charlie?" Jackson asked suddenly, almost shouting. "Women are good for nothin'. Leave her."

"Maybe she could act as a diversion or somethin'?" Charlie asked, finally letting his gaze unglue from the table and look Ben straight in the eyes. "That way we can get the money while she diverts the Marshall."

"Are you sweet on her?" Tommy asked, grinning at Charlie.

"Fuck you," Charlie hissed at Tommy angrily.

Ben looked straight at Charlie. "Okay, you want her to come with us so much. She rides with you and if anythin' happens we get rid of her. I ain't bein' held back caus' of some girl you found."

"Come on, Boss. Maybe we could have some fun with her," Tommy laughed. "At least we ain't gotta be charged for a good fuck now."

"Enough, Tommy!" Ben called. "Is that all you ever think about?" he asked, smacking his hand into the tabletop. "If she rides with Charlie, it's only him she's holdin' back. I ain't holdin' any responsibility for her that's for sure."

xxxx

Charlie returned to his hotel room late that night after spending much time in the saloon with Ben and the rest of the outfit who were now also in rooms across the hotel. In the darkness of the room he threw his leather jacket onto the end of the bed and watched the sleeping form of Rachel. A few stray strips of light danced across her face.

His mind wondered back to his first encounter with Ben Wade; on the run, hungry, thirsty and scared. Having just beaten his father black and blue, Charlie Prince had abandoned his family home. Scared, he hid at the nearby train station, huddled from the biting cold of the night. It was later on, just before sunrise when a man in his mid thirties come riding through with a group of men behind him. Charlie left the train station, now accompanying a group of notorious outlaws, unaware of where his future would lead him.

The more he thought on the matter, the more he told himself that Rachel had to come with him.

xxxx

Early the next morning, Rachel woke to the sensation of someone shaking her. "Get up. We need to move," Charlie's voice came, filtering through her dream world. She groggily opened her eyes, seeing Charlie's form leaning over her. His piercing eyes stared at her from above.

"What?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her tired eyes. "You mean right now?" She sat up quickly, rubbing her hand through her long tangled locks of hair. "My hair really needs washing," she muttered to herself.

"Fuck your hair," Charlie hissed. "The Boss arrived in town last night and expects us ready to move out in the next hour."

Rachel watched from the bed as Charlie pulled on his gloves which only covered up to his knuckles and then secured his gun belt around his slender waist.

"Come on then!" Charlie snapped again. "We ain't got forever to wait."

"Okay, okay. Bloody hell!" Rachel growled, dragging herself out of bed and sighing at the sight of herself in the small mirror. She was still wearing the hideous red dress from the night previously. "Have I got to wear this though? If I'm coming with you lot, it's not very practical, is it?"

Charlie glared in her direction and muttered a few curse words to himself. "Alright!" he began, shouting. "Ah'll get ya some pants and a shirt from the store across the street."

Charlie and Rachel vacated the room that morning only to meet up with Jackson and Kinter down by the main doors leading into the place. "Oh, so this is the lass ya met and decided to keep to yourself?" Jackson asked, grinning at Rachel wickedly and leaning in closer to her.

"Where's the Boss?" Charlie asked, ignoring the statement from Jackson and turning his attention immediately to Kinter who had his back to the door and was absently staring out into the bright morning light.

"Beats me. Ah ain't seen him since last night when ah was with you," Kinter replied, turning to look at Charlie.

Jackson chuckled as he watched Rachel tense and stare at him evilly. She backed away closer to Charlie. How she hated men sometimes. Rotten animals. "Don't worry. Ah ain't gonna bite ya," Jackson said perversely, showing her, once again, his set of stained and broken teeth.

"I'm not so sure myself," Rachel hissed, moving in a little closer to Charlie so her arm was brushing against his. For a moment she had the urge to hold his arm but stopped herself doing so. After the heartfelt conversation with Charlie the night earlier, she didn't feel as scared when in his company anymore. She could see the cracks and weakness in him. He wasn't all anger and hostility.

"Mornin', boys," Ben said, greeting his men as he appeared at the bottom of the steps with the maid from the bar last night holding his arm. "Sorry ya had to wait," he said again, as if teasing his men. "Where's Tommy and Campos?"

"Just outside seein' to the horses, Boss," Jackson replied.

Rachel felt herself shiver. One outlaw she could handle, but now she was surrounded by six of them at least. Surely there were more. "Give me a few minutes, Boss," Charlie interrupted suddenly. "Ah need to fetch somethin' from the store across that way."

Ben never answered but instead said his farewells to the woman on his arm with a deep kiss, then approached Rachel. His grey eyes were dark and mysterious. She stepped back, already feeling intimidated by him. "Charlie persisted that you come with us, and bein' the generous man ah am, ah accepted. If you hold us up any, you're on your own. Got that?" Ben half threatened, staring into Rachel's terrified green eyes.

"Erm, yes," Rachel replied nervously. She swallowed hard, already waiting for Charlie to return. In just two days of meeting him, she somehow felt at ease. It was as if she had summed him up the night earlier in just one conversation. The air soon grew tense as it fell silent. The other men began to chatter amongst themselves as Ben kept his eye on Rachel.

It only took five minutes for Charlie to return with a pair of pants and a shirt. Those minutes in Rachel's estimation seemed like an eternity. "Get these on quickly," he told Rachel.

"But I'll have to strip down," Rachel called out. "Can't I go somewhere and put them on in private."

"No, you do it here or nothin'!" Ben replied sternly. "You're already holdin' us up."

Embarrassed, terrified and shaking, Rachel stripped down. She tried to do it quickly to maintain her dignity, only to feel the persistent gazes of the men on her. Her cheeks burned bright red and tears welled in her eyes.

The pants which were a simple black only just fit her, stretching around her curvy waist and the shirt was miles too big for her. She closed all the buttons on the shirt and then looked up at Charlie. "Come on," he said quietly, feeling her embarrassment.

Everyone moved out of the hotel and headed to the group of horses which Tommy and Campos were standing by. Rachel's legs were shaking terribly as she struggled to keep up with Charlie, remaining next to him. "You'll ride with me," he told her, not even looking at her, but keeping his eyes locked on his horse which was a caramel brown with one strip of white down its face.

Rachel smiled at the sight of Charlie's horse and rubbed her hand soothingly down its face, enjoying the sensation of the animal's soft hair beneath her hand. "We need to get movin'," Charlie whispered to her.

With a great amount of help from Charlie, Rachel mounted the horse and sat behind the outlaw, holding onto his jacket around the waist. She glanced around and closed her eyes, feeling so forgotten, and sighed, internally preparing herself for what was about to come.


	6. Wastelands of Arizona

A/N: I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my reviewers; your encouragement and kind words have just been phenomenal. You have really motivated me to write this story and continue with it. Forty reviews for a prologue and four chapters- that is just amazing! Having received a review that was slightly critical of my prologue, I've decided to re-write it. I do admit it was slightly rushed because I just wanted to plunge into the Charlie storyline.

Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

**Chapter Five**

Rachel gripped Charlie's leather jacket tightly, watching the speeding ground as it flashed past her. Butterflies and cramps began plaguing her stomach, having never been on a horse moving this swiftly. A terror filled expression formed on her pale face, but all she could do was cling to Charlie for dear life and pray for the best.

The sun was becoming higher in the sky as it quickly approached mid day. The rest of the gang rode confidently, galloping quickly across the open wastelands, heading south to Millville, which was still a fair way yet. Birds squawked overhead as Rachel looked upwards, feeling the blinding sunlight bathe her face so warmly. For a moment it felt as if she were flying; the breeze brushed through her hair and caressed her cheeks.

Rachel's stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten now since the afternoon earlier and was badly in need of some nourishment. "Charlie, when are we stopping?" she asked quietly, tugging gently on the outlaw's jacket.

"Why ya ask?" Charlie replied, keeping his eyes glued to the path in front of him.

"Just wondered," Rachel replied, blushing as she lied.

"We should be nearer nightfall," Charlie called back quietly over his shoulder.

Every now and again Rachel felt the constant stares from someone close by. She turned to glance quickly over her shoulder and saw Tommy grinning perversely at her. His eyes studied Rachel's curves, secretly appreciating her fuller stature. She wasn't obese, but was nicely proportioned. Rolling her eyes and sighing, Rachel looked away quickly. Around her neck she realised she was still wearing the necklace Laura had allowed her to borrow. It dangled loosely on her chest and had a medium-sized, fake crystal heart attached, which was no larger than the size of a walnut. She held the pendent between her small fingers and watched all the colours of the spectrum shine brightly in the centre.

As time passed by that afternoon, Rachel felt a throb form in her backside after sitting so long on Charlie's leather saddle. She squirmed, closing her eyes as she tried hard to alleviate the annoying pain. "What ya doin'?" Charlie asked sternly, feeling her move about behind him.

"Nothing," Rachel replied, wincing at the severe cramp which was developing in her backside and right leg.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "It feels like you're doin' somethin'."

"I'm sorry. I just feel really uncomfortable," Rachel said again, looking down and feeling nausea wash over her yet again at the sight of the speeding ground beneath the galloping horse's hooves.

"It shouldn't be too long until we stop," Charlie told her, his voice growing gentler in tone. It sure was growing hotter out there as the blazing sun relentlessly beamed down on the outfit. Sweat dripped down Charlie's brow, coming to rest in the dips of his lips. The leather of his jacket and gloves held the heat in more, making it feel as though it were burning.

Rachel let her mind wonder once more...

_I don't think I can take this bloody heat much longer. And these men are just disgusting, although Charlie isn't too bad. At least he doesn't smell like that fat guy Jackson. _

_I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing back at home. I should have called them. Oh God, they'll know something is wrong now. I bet Laura is glad she got rid of me. Why's it always me that gets picked on? Can't people just leave me alone? I don't hurt anyone, so why do they think it's funny to bother me so much?_

Charlie suddenly began fiddling around in his saddle bag as the outfit slowed down their pace. "Here, don't say I never give ya anythin'," he snapped waspishly, reaching behind and shoving half a loaf of currant bread and an apple into Rachel's hands. The dried meat he'd bought in the town before Two Guns had been devoured a few hours before Charlie had met Rachel.

"Are you sure? Do you have enough for yourself?" Rachel asked, still firmly holding onto Charlie with just her left hand and holding the food items in her right.

Charlie smiled secretly to himself. She may have been irritating, but somewhere he appreciated her kindness. "I'm sure," he replied simply. Tonight would probably mean going out and hunting down a rabbit or some misfortunate animal which was scrounging around nearby.

Rachel took a bite of the fruit bread which had grown extremely dry and crusted on the top, but to her it tasted good all the same. She hadn't eaten in almost twenty four hours now since her meal with Charlie and even half of that she given to him. The sweet taste of the fruit invaded her mouth, pleasuring her denied stomach. The rest of the half loaf was devoured with great vigour.

Once the bread had been eaten, Rachel began on the apple. It may have been slightly soft and not crunchy how she preferred her apples, but again, it was food. Thankfully by now the horse was only trotting down a dusty dirt road, passing by old abandoned cattle sheds. "So, Rachel…" a voice came from her left. Rachel's head shot around to look into the grey eyes of Ben Wade. "Where ya from?"

Rachel couldn't help but become confused by the gang leader's current change in attitude towards her. They'd been travelling now most of the day and he'd just suddenly decided to interrogate her as to where she was originally from. "I used to live in England but moved to the States a few months ago," she replied nervously, only just maintaining eye contact with Wade who rode slowly beside her and Charlie.

"Most around these parts still aren't too fond of the English," Ben said, his expression stern. "Why did ya decide to live here? Don'tcha have parents?"

Rachel tensed, not quite sure how to answer that. She knew that he'd never believe her story. Brushing the dripping sweat from her brow, Rachel mused over her reply to that question, finally deciding to just tell him the truth. "I don't know how I got here," she said simply. "I…erm, was with friends and they…did some kind of spell and then I found myself here…and Charlie found me."

Ben glanced at Charlie sceptically. "This true, Charlie?" he asked his second in command.

Charlie looked at the leader uneasily. "Ah don't know, Boss. She seemed pretty scared an' all."

Ben smirked to himself and cooed to his horse, riding on ahead, leaving Charlie and Rachel behind. "Do you believe me?" Rachel asked Charlie, tugging on his leather jacket.

"Ah don't know," Charlie replied, quickening his horse's speed to catch up with the Boss.

xxx

To everyone's relief, Ben instructed all the men to stop as dusk began to take over the baron wastelands of Arizona. Charlie gracefully jumped from his horse, turning around to help Rachel down. She was surprised when he held his hand out and assisted her down from the saddle. "Thank you," Rachel said, giving him a smile full of gratitude.

Whilst a few of the men gathered fire wood, Charlie and Ben discussed their plan of action for the next few days. "The coach passes through on Tuesday so we've got one full day to catch up with it," Ben reminded Charlie, taking off his hat and sitting down on the dusty ground with his back against a large boulder. Through the darkness Ben watched Rachel as she remained alone, sitting away from all the men, keeping her arms wrapped around herself. "Maybe we can use the girl to our advantage, Charlie," he proposed, turning his attention back to Charlie.

"How so, Boss?" Charlie asked.

Ben smirked, removing his hat. "We use her as a diversion. Make her go in front and stop them for help. Then we come in behind," Ben explained, keeping the pleased smile on his face.

Charlie sighed and looked down a moment, not sure whether to accept Ben's course of action. But he knew their leader was a stubborn bastard and would still make sure things were done his way despite differences of opinion. "That's puttin' her at risk," Charlie said suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing as concern spread across his young face.

Chuckling, Ben looked into Charlie's eyes. "Ah think Tommy's right. You're sweet on her, Charlie."

Charlie swallowed hard. "Let's do it then, Boss," he replied simply, knowing that this would put Rachel's life at risk, but also make them quite a few thousand dollars richer. His eyes searched for Rachel through the dark, finding her as her features became illuminated by the embers of the newly lit fire. Sighing, Charlie got up and strolled over to where Rachel was sat. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied. On her face was a blank expression and unshed tears were in her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks.

"Want me to warm ya up?" Tommy Darden asked suddenly, walking past Rachel and Charlie. He winked at her and made a perverse kissing motion with his lips. Charlie merely scowled in response, warning Tommy away.

With no word, Charlie walked over to his horse and fiddled around with his saddle bags, then returned to Rachel, his figure coming into view thanks to brightness of the fire. "Here. It'll keep ya warm," he said softly, handing her a thin blanket. "It gets bitter out here at night."

"I'll be fine," Rachel replied bitterly, one tear slipping silently down her cheek.

"Shut up and come here!" Charlie hissed, crouching down and enclosing the grey blanket around Rachel's trembling shoulders. It wasn't worth fighting or resisting anymore. Rachel knew she was stuck here for quite a while, if not for the rest of her life. Charlie may have mellowed slightly since meeting him two days ago, but the rest of the gang to her seemed like a group of disgusting animals.

Jackson and Kinter soon returned to the camp with a couple of rabbits they had shot. They dropped the dead animals to the ground with a thump, paired with rising dust, and prepared their knives, sharpening them in preparation for skinning the rabbits. Rachel huddled inside the blanket, squirming at the sight of the animals being cut open.

Charlie raised an eyebrow and looked across at Rachel's expression of complete disgust. "Ah take it you're not used to this?" he asked, smirking. "Never lived in the wild, hunted for ya own food and skinned it yaself."

"Yeah, and I'm glad I never have too," Rachel replied, pulling the blanket around her tighter to push away the biting cold. When she thought about all this, it made her realise that this was the way that many people survived and how the very first men of the world kept themselves alive.

A while later and Rachel was presented with a black mass which looked only just edible in any way. Kinter placed the cut up and cooked rabbit in Rachel's lap and walked away quickly, ready to eat his own meal. All of the men had already tucked into their food with great relish whilst Rachel grimaced at the meat. Closing her eyes and holding her nose, Rachel bit a tiny piece of flesh from the bone, tasting an overly smoked flavour travel down her throat. It certainly wasn't a piece of prime steak, but neither did it taste like contents of a lavatory bowl. Shortly after taking her first bite, Rachel began eating larger chunks, finding that she actually quite enjoyed the flavour.

By the time Rachel had finished her meat, all the other men had thrown their bones away and were sat leisurely by the fire discussing various topics of conversation amongst themselves. Charlie was only a few feet away from Rachel and was alone, lying on his back along his camp roll, staring up at the stars littering the sky. His arms were behind his head, acting as a pillow. "Anything interesting?" Rachel asked, moving across a little towards Charlie.

"Depends on what ya find interestin'," Charlie replied simply, never looking at her. Rachel dragged herself across the dusty ground to where Charlie was lay and pulled the blanket in tighter around her body then leaned her head back, staring up at the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, smiling at the twinkling starlight in the heavens.

"It always helps me clear mah head," Charlie said absently. "No matter what shit ah've had happen, ah can look up and let mah worries drift away."

"I always find that with music. It lets me forget the bad things that happen and concentrate on the good," Rachel replied, catching a quick glimpse of Charlie's pistol. "I've never fired a gun," she continued, watching as Charlie's expression changed to one of confusion.

"Ah take it that's a hint?" he asked, looking at her.

"No," she mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers. "I just looked at your gun and it made me think that I've never fired one before. I do Tae Kwon Do back home but I've never fired a gun."

"What the hell is that?" Charlie asked, sitting up on his bed roll and staring at Rachel questioningly.

"It's Martial Arts. Self defence. You know? Kicking and punching. I used to train twice a week. I was on my purple belt before I left; doesn't look like I'll be going much further."

Charlie couldn't help but smile to himself, watching the fire form small dancing lights in Rachel's eyes. "Ah suppose its all well and good bein' able to fire a gun but ya need to be able to stand ya ground in a one on one fight. "

Eventually, as the fire died down, the embers diminishing, the group lay down for the night on the hard, cold ground. Rachel grit her teeth as she felt stones dig into her back and the coldness spread through her body, but for tonight this was all they had.


	7. Second Thoughts

A/N: Sorry for the long delay

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've been busy with other stories and things in my life; Lady Prince was on hold for a while. But here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter Six**

Rachel woke the next morning to find only ash remaining in the spot where the fire had been blazing the night previously. The bright morning sunshine made it hard to focus as she got up, searching for Charlie. As usual, Tommy Darden was close by and grinning at her in his ordinary perverted manner. She quickly looked away, crossing her arms and sat up in the spot where she had slept. For a while the other men chatted away amongst themselves, taking very little notice of Rachel. To them she was just a nuisance which Charlie had brought upon them.

"Boss, do you really think it's a good idea usin' her as bait?" Wade's second in command asked him as they stood in the shade of a withering tree, scorched and aged by the summer sun. Absently, Charlie fiddled with the holster of his Schofield, trying not to look Wade in the eyes.

"Why are you so worried about her, Charlie?" Wade asked, smirking from beneath the brim of his hat. "She's no use to us and you know my opinion on women in the outfit. All she's good for is a diversion."

Charlie glanced across to where Rachel was sitting and watched her for a couple of seconds. "You know that ah've always done what you've asked of me, Boss, but ah just think this is wrong. She's only a kid and she's scared."

Ben smiled again and placed his hand on Charlie's shoulder. "We'll ask the rest of the boys and see what they say." Sighing, Charlie watched the Boss walk away and scuffed at the dirt beneath his boot.

As Rachel brushed a hand through her hair and got to her feel, yawning, she noticed Charlie head her way. "You okay?" he asked her, folding the blanket up from where she'd been sleeping.

"I'm alright, thank you," Rachel replied.

"Did you sleep alright?" Charlie asked, turning to her and looking in her eyes. As he looked at her, he felt nothing but guilt. How could he let her be the bait for them? "Ah heard you mumbling again."

Rachel's brow crumpled upon his words. "I just have bad dreams sometimes. But I slept fine. Why are you concerned about me all of a sudden?" she asked, a smile spreading on her face and a giggle threatening to come through.

"Why can't ah ask?" Charlie asked, giving her a smile. "Ah thought women liked fuss."

The outfit left a short while later after packing all of their bed rolls into their saddle bags and making sure they had relieved themselves properly for the long journey ahead. Rachel, once again, rode behind Charlie on his horse. On the odd occasion they spoke to one another. "So what's it like where you're from?" Charlie asked at one point, having grown curious as to exactly who Rachel was and where she was from.

"Well," Rachel began, gripping Charlie's leather jacket tightly. "I'm originally from England and I lived with my mom and dad. We had a lot of family problems start and so I left for America."

Charlie felt a sudden rush of sadness wash over him as he thought on when he left home. It was the day his younger brother, Tom, had died. Charlie had beaten his father black and blue due to all the years he and Tom had suffered, and then set off to find a new life. "What was ya Ma like?" Charlie asked, thinking on the fact that when he left home, he never saw his mother again.

Rachel smiled at the thought of her Mom. "One of the kindest people I've ever met. When I lived with her and Dad, we'd stay up late at night and watch films together. I miss her so much. Why do you ask, Charlie?"

"Ah just ain't seen mah Ma in years," he began, exhaling loudly. "Ah heard she killed herself after ah left."

"I'm really sorry," Rachel said softly, meaning her words. "It doesn't sound much, but I really am sorry."

"Thanks. You're probably the first person ah've met who's given a damn."

The rest of the day seemed to pass quicker than it had done the day previously. The outfit passed old abandoned buildings, fields full of cattle and by the end of the day as the sun began to sink lower beneath the horizon they came across a large house. The building seemed new and outside was a stagecoach. In the distance behind the residence was a stable, and on the air the sounds of horses neighing could be heard. Wade who was at the head of the group guided the rest of the outlaws up the dirt path which lead up to the main door of the house.

"Looks like we're gonna stop here the night," Charlie whispered to Rachel.

As the group of outlaws, consisting of nine men, arrived at the front of the house, Wade got down from his horse and walked to the front door, knocking hard upon it. A few seconds later, a middle aged, grey haired woman greeted the visitors. "Sorry to disturb you, ma'am, but we were hopin' you could put us up for the night. We'll pay you generously, of course," Wade said, giving her a smile and removing his hat.

The woman eyed the men in turn, her dark eyes stern and cold. "How much?" she asked, her small lips pursed together tightly as if she were eating a lemon.

"Twenty dollars for all'a us," Wade replied. "Generous enough?"

"Take the animals round the back. Ah'll get mah son to help you," she said, half hissing and closed the door sharply.

At the back of the large house, a young man in his mid twenties took the horses from the outfit, not asking any questions as he already gathered they were outlaws. Their clothing and the guns at their hips gave their identity away.

Charlie helped Rachel down from the horse and stopped her a moment as she went ahead to walk on towards the house. "Rachel? Take this just in case you come across any trouble," he told her, pulling one of his Schofields from its holster. It rested in his leather clad palm.

"But it's yours," Rachel told Charlie, looking at the gun and then looking back up into Charlie's pale green eyes.

"Ah know it's mine and that's why I'm offering it to ya. Take it," he instructed, grabbing her hand roughly and placing it in her palm.

"Thank you," Rachel said softly, smiling at Charlie. She couldn't understand why his attitude towards her had changed so drastically this past two days. Maybe he was protecting her from the rest of the outfit; she didn't quite know. Rachel looked into his eyes for a moment and searched them for emotions. One minute they were bursting with anger, the next they were saddened by memories from long ago. They were always like a rough sea, turbulent, mysterious and ever changing.

Charlie felt himself grow nervous as she looked at him, as if looking into him, through him, trying hard to read who he truly was inside. He looked away quickly and turned on his heel, heading for the back door of the house. Rachel followed on behind Charlie, looking up at the beautiful sky which was plastered in bright reds, pinks and purples. The haze of the sun was dissolving slowly and the heat was gradually shifting.

Rachel walked through the back door of the house, trailing behind the outlaws. She looked at the walls, noticing old black and white photos of children and a young man. Maybe the lady of the house's husband?

The old grey haired woman suddenly appeared from an ornately decorated room. "You'll probably have to pair up. Ah haven't got enough room for you all to have a room each," she said, beginning to ascend up the stairs in front of Wade.

"That's fine, ma'am. We just need somewhere to lay our heads tonight," Wade replied, following her up the stairs.

The woman showed the group the rooms one by one, walking steadily down the hallway. Paintings and more photographs hung from the white washed walls, and a stale smell hung in the air, almost making Rachel sneeze. "You wanna bunk with me, darlin'?" Tommy asked, nudging Rachel and curling his arm around her waist. Rachel grimaced in disgust as the outlaw's yellow teeth and bad breath.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, shifting away.

"She's bunkin' with me, Tommy. Leave her be," Charlie growled.

"Come on, Charlie. Why do you have all the fun? Share her around with all of us," Tommy sneered.

Each of the men sought out their pairs, leaving Charlie to pair with Rachel. Together, she and Charlie walked, one after the other, into their designated room. The room was bare, having only a single cupboard, a shelf by the window and a double bed in the centre of the room.

"Thank you for that, Charlie," Rachel said softly, stopping a moment and looking up at him.

"Ah know how Tommy is. He has no respect for anyone but himself," Charlie growled. Rachel immediately dropped to the bed and curled into a foetal position, resting her head on the pillow.

"That is so nice," Rachel said in delight, closing her eyes.

When Rachel finally opened her eyes again, she was looking through the dim light of an oil lamp. There beside her, sat on the edge of the bed was Charlie. In his hands was a book. "Damn it!" he cursed.

Rachel got up, yawning and crawled to the other side of the double bed so she was sat beside him. "Here, let me help you," she said softly, leaning over, brushing his arm and looking at the book. As Charlie tried his hardest to sound out the words, Rachel guided him along assisting and correcting wherever necessary. "Ah can't do this! I'm dumb, let's face it!" Charlie shouted, tossing the book across the room.

"You're not dumb at all!" Rachel exclaimed, picking up the book and placing it back in Charlie's lap. "I know what's wrong and it's not because you're stupid. You've probably got dyslexia."

"What the hell is that?" Charlie asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"It's a disorder which means you have problems reading. I've known people with it. Don't be disheartened by it. I'll help you read. I promise when I'm finished with you, you'll be able to read any book you wish." With that, Rachel smiled broadly, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, come on, open up the book and we'll start again."

Charlie smiled at her appreciatively. Why was she being so kind to him when she knew full well what he did daily? All he did was steal and kill. But she still saw him as a person. Rachel saw him as Charlie Prince the man, not Charlie Prince the wanted outlaw.

Suddenly a knock at the door grabbed their attention. Charlie growled to himself, getting up from the bed and stormed to the door. "What?" he asked evilly, opening the door and looking into the eyes of a startled young woman who didn't look much older than Rachel.

"Ah bought your dinners," she half stuttered, her pouting lips quivering. With no other words spoken, Charlie grabbed the food tray and rushed back inside, slamming the door.

For the rest of the evening, Charlie and Rachel remained huddled together over the old, tatty book. A tray of food sat close by within hands reach, and every now and again Rachel or Charlie would grab a piece of bread or a mouthful of meat as they continued reading. No matter how many times Charlie cursed or growled in irritation, Rachel stopped him and reassured him she'd one day accomplish her goal: helping him finally be able to read.

The old oil lamp gave out just enough light for them to concentrate. Charlie's dirty finger traced the lines of words, guiding him along as his eyes and mind tried hard to comprehend the letters typed into the page. Rachel smiled as she noticed a vast improvement in only a couple of hours. He was now able to read a complete paragraph with only a few stumbles. He couldn't read as quickly as most adults, but it was a matter of time.

Charlie looked up at Rachel and smiled, straightening his aching back. "Thank you," he told her quietly. "Ah appreciate this. No one ever had time to sit down and help me like this."

"You're welcome," Rachel replied, closing the dusty book. "I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here, but I'll help you as much as I can. All you need to do is ask."

Bidding her goodnight, Charlie took off his shirt and tossed it over the end of the bed next to his white leather jacket, then pulled off his boots. He eased himself into the double bed, turning his back away from Rachel as not to make her uncomfortable. For a short while he looked out the bedroom window, watching the moonlight high in the sky. Should he tell her about the upcoming raid and Wade's plans to use her as bait? Charlie sighed as he closed his eyes, wondering why on Earth he was becoming so eat up over this. Anyone else and he'd have gladly risked their life, tossing them to the wolves for the money. But this was different.

As Rachel slept behind him, her soft breath wafted against his back. For this first time in his life, Charlie Prince knew that he was letting his feelings take hold of his reasoning. He was allowing himself to develop feelings for Rachel….


	8. I'd Feel Safer With You

Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Rachel woke the next morning to find the other half of the bed beside her empty. To say it was only early and the sun had barely lifted up across the horizon, it was already incredibly warm. The bed sheet was immediately kicked away by Rachel's feet.

Charlie soon re appeared around the door, scratching away at his strawberry-blonde beard. "It ain't much past dawn. Go back to sleep," he instructed, walking across the room and getting in bed beside her. The bed creaked as his body weight hit it, and gradually the bed adjusted back to both their weights.

The outlaw's bladder had finally been relieved and he was able to drift back to sleep. It usually didn't take much time or effort for Charlie to go to sleep. He was usually out and about, going on raids and generally stealing whatever he could get his hands on, so some days sleep was only brief. As his pale green eyes fluttered closed, Rachel turned over to face him and studied his face. Her eyes surveyed each of his features: his long nose, rose bud lips which peeped from beneath his beard and his slender face.

No matter how many times Rachel closed her eyes, prompting herself back into sleep mode, her mind would just not switch off. She knew full well that the outfit were heading to a raid. From her limited knowledge of the Wild West and Westerns, she knew that wasn't a particularly good thing. Innocent people would no doubt be killed just so Wade and his men could fill their hands with money. But what exactly did they spend this money on? Rachel eyed Charlie's orange pants as his legs were slung over the bed sheets, and then she gazed over his white leather jacket on the end of the bed. His clothing was decent enough, but not the most expensive. Surely with the amount of raids these men went out on, they'd have enough to keep them all rich for the rest of their lives, so why did they continue? Rachel couldn't understand why someone would want to choose a life like this. It made her think back to her years in England when people would live off benefits, hating the very thought of _earning_ their living.

A little time passed and a clock chimed from somewhere in the upper levels of the house. Its deep resounding chime told Rachel that it had just gone six in the morning. Somewhere from one of the other rooms, Rachel could hear people stirring. Beds and floorboards creaked loudly. Then the gentle tapping of boots upon the wood followed.

Charlie snored loudly, waking himself with a jump. For a couple of seconds he looked truly startled, staring around the room as if he didn't know where he was. "You alright?" Rachel asked, sitting up in the bed and crossing her arms. But Charlie never answered. Bewilderment still danced upon his face. It gradually faded, and he yawned loudly, brushing a hand through his dirty blonde locks of hair. As his green eyes scanned the room, Charlie soon realised where he was and sat up on the edge of the bed.

"I wonder if we'll have breakfast too," Rachel commented, getting up out of the bed and walking around to where Charlie was sitting. She didn't have to be psychic to see that something was bothering him. A whole sea of emotions washed across his face. "Are you alright?" Rachel asked, growing concerned for him. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, brushing her fingertips ever so gently across his bare skin.

His mind was on the raid. It meant risking Rachel's life. But should he tell her? Charlie's loyalty to Ben Wade had always been strong, however, when he looked into Rachel's eyes he couldn't allow any harm to come to her. He knew that now. Since meeting her out in the wastelands he'd protected her and had promised himself that he'd continue doing that as long as she was here, in this time and place. "Ah'm fine," Charlie replied. "Ah…just…." No matter how much he thought over the words in his mind, they just wouldn't come out. How could he go against the Boss? On the other hand, how could he sit here and watch Rachel be used?

_What's happenin' to you, Charlie? She's softenin' you real good. But she's only a young girl. Ah need to get her away from here. _

Charlie quickly rose from the bed and grabbed his red shirt, pulling it on around his shoulder. "Get dressed!" he instructed as a plan formulated in his mind.

Rachel looked at him, her dark eyebrows furrowing. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Shh," Charlie told her again. "Just get dressed and be quiet."

"I am dressed," Rachel said simply. "I went to bed in this last night."

"Mmkay. Follow me and be quiet. Not a single word caus' ah know you can't keep ya trap shut." With that, Charlie smiled at her. Rachel returned his smile, sensing a newfound respect that had formed between them somewhere along the line.

One behind the other, Rachel and Charlie traced the hallway, trying not to step on any creaky floorboards. They could hear Kinter and Jackson arguing with one another in one room, and loud snoring from another. Rachel stopped suddenly as she heard embarrassing sounds from the end room. One of the men was obviously enjoying himself with a member of the opposite sex. Her cheeks flushed bright red as she looked at Charlie who seemed to have also heard the moans, groans and bed springs. He just smirked and continued on towards the steps leading down. It must have been the middle aged woman's daughter because there weren't any other women that Charlie knew of in the house.

"Come on," Charlie whispered, gesturing for her to follow him.

"What are we doing?" Rachel asked, stopping on the stairs suddenly. Charlie stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to face her. With a sigh, he answered.

"Just come outside with me and ah'll tell you."

Rachel remained silent from then on and walked slowly out of the back door with Charlie. No one seemed to be about that time of morning. The house was quiet, a little too quiet for Charlie's liking. As he and Rachel stepped out into the gathering warmth of the early morning, Charlie glanced up, his gaze tracing each window in turn. He hoped no one was watching.

"You have to get away from here, Rachel," Charlie said simply, turning on his heel to face her. He looked down at the dirt on the ground, hanging his head so his eyes became eclipsed by his hat.

"What's going on, Charlie?" Rachel asked. "Please tell me."

Biting his bottom lip, Charlie began to speak. "They others wanna use you as a diversion when we raid the coach today takin' money to the office in Millville. It means puttin' your life on the line, and ah'm not gonna watch that happen."

"So you pretty much want me to make it look like I run away?" Rachel asked, cocking her head to the side and placing her hand on her hip.

"Exactly. This isn't the life you should be leadin' with us," Charlie told her, his eyes scanning her face. As each day had dawned with Rachel in his protection, she'd grown more beautiful through his eyes.

"I'm not going, Charlie," Rachel replied. Her eyes were full of sincerity and silent strength. The way she crossed her arms showed determination. "You've looked out for me since I came here, and I….," she broke off in mid sentence. Her cheeks flourished with just the faintest hint of a blush. "I trust you, and only you."

"But if you stay and go on the raid, they could turn on you….anythin'."

"And what if I ride off and happen to run into another group of outlaws on the run, but they aren't as friendly to me as you've been?" Rachel smiled weakly at him, squinting through the strengthening sunlight. "I'd feel safer with you."

Charlie was speechless. She trusted him? Deep down he knew that he couldn't do any wrong against her. He owed her this much, to do what she asked of him. Let her stay in his company. "Ah promise that ah'll take care of you, and we'll find a way for you to go home," he said finally.

Back in the house sometime later after Charlie and Rachel had waited for some kind of signal from the rest of the outfit, everyone gathered and trailed down the stairs. Wade looked across at Rachel, noticing how close she always remained to Charlie, and quite honestly, he didn't blame her either. Charlie Prince was one of the best shots he'd ever seen- rarely missing his intended target. He also had a fiercely loyal heart to those he let in.

In the yard, everyone mounted their horses after the young man of the house got them all from the stables. As Rachel got up onto the horse, sitting behind Charlie, she felt his gun press against her leg in the pocket of her baggy pants. "I think I need to get a holster to put this in," she said, tugging a little on Charlie's jacket.

"Once we're in town, ah'll get you a belt and you can have mine," he replied softly, feeling her arms tighten around his middle. They rested just above his stomach, but the sensation sent strange signals to other parts of his body. Charlie closed his eyes a moment, trying hard to push the signals away and pulled on the reins.

They were off.

The outfit galloped on towards the main road leading into Millville which would no doubt be the route the coach would take to deliver the money. The heat began to gather momentum as they rode along, following Wade's lead. Rachel noticed that they steadied their pace and gradually slowed down as they came to a broad dirt road.

Wade was the first to dismount his animal. He jumped down, his feet slamming into the hard earth. "Rachel!" he called, looking across to her. She swallowed hard and slid from the saddle, almost stumbling over. Her legs felt so weak beneath her out of sheer nervousness paired with her thundering heart. Her eyes met Wade's cold ones. "When the coach comes, you walk out and flag them down," he ordered.

"What do I tell them?" Rachel asked, trying hard to sound confident in this situation.

"Be creative," Wade sneered, gesturing to his men to follow and hide away behind the boulders which were scattered about the place and take the horses up into the hills.

Before Rachel headed off towards the main road, Charlie stopped her, placing his hand on her arm. "Be careful," he said softly. Rachel merely smiled in response.

"I will."

By the side of the main road, Rachel waited, leaning against an old withered tree. She sighed and brushed a hand across her hot, sweaty brow. Gradually the loud, pounding sound of hooves became known, echoing around the area. She looked back behind her hoping to see Charlie somewhere, but he'd disappeared along with the other men from the outfit. She was on her own now.

The vague outline of a coach hovered in the heat wave which lay across the horizon. She could make out dark shapes ahead of it: the horses. Rachel took many deep breaths until the coach was only a couple of hundred yards away, then she pushed herself into gear and raced out across the dirt track.

"Help me!" she screamed, looking up towards two men which were sat at the front of the coach, controlling the horses. "Please. Help me!" Whether her acting skills were anything to be proud of, she'd soon know.

"Whoa!" an old man called out, pulling tightly on the reins of the horses. The coach came to a slow stop. The man peered down at Rachel with a pair of small dark eyes and spoke out from underneath a large, grey handle bar moustache. "What's goin' on, Miss?" he asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Sweat was pouring down Rachel's brow which made everything look all the more believable. "A gang of outlaws were after me. They held me captive. Please, help me!" Rachel called out, gesturing back towards the hills.

Suddenly with no word of warning a gunshot rang through the air and the younger passenger of the coach slammed forwards, blood pouring from a wound in his chest. The old man yelled in surprise and grabbed a gun from by his feet, raising it up into the air.

Charlie was still behind a large boulder, watching Rachel from a distance. His heart beat wildly in his chest. If this man realised what Rachel was doing, he could easily turn on her. His right hand lingered on the top of his Schofield, ready to raise it if need me.

A few feet away from Charlie, Campos aimed his rifle at the old man, ready to kill him too. Hopefully there were only these two men to take care of. It certainly didn't seem as if any others were present.

Back at he coach, the old man noticed how unaffected Rachel seemed to be by the sudden death of the young man in the passenger seat. "You're with 'em, ain't you?" he snapped. "What did they do? Bribe a young kid like you to go along with 'em?" With that, he raised his gun directly at Rachel's head and watched her eyes grow wide like a shocked rabbit out on the highway at night, being blinded by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

Charlie rose from behind the boulder suddenly as if on instinct.

"Charlie!" Wade demanded. "Get back down you stupid bastard!" But Charlie never listened and made himself known to the old man.

"You wanna kill someone, old man. Kill me!" Charlie called, holding his hands out.

"For fuck's sake, Charlie!" Wade shouted.

The old man watched Charlie approach with his hands in the air and kept his weapon aimed at Rachel's head. "Aww!" he cooed evilly. "Worried ah'll blow her pretty little head off? Ah know who ya are, Prince. Ah've seen you."

"Well, ah can't say that you look familiar. You'll have to jog mah mind a little there, old man," Charlie replied sarcastically.

"Come on. Word travels fast round here. You know that," the old man spat. "Not many like you get by without someone knowin' who ya are."

Charlie's gaze raced back and forth between Rachel and the old man and the long that gun was aimed at Rachel, the more nervous it made him. Should he reach for his gun and risk the guy shooting Rachel? The odds of him killing this guy now with one shot seemed to outweigh any other options right now. He knew what he needed to do and as quick as he could grabbed his gun, shooting the old guy directly between the eyes, never faulting. The crack as the bullet left the barrel echoed through the air, almost deafening Rachel. He shoved his gun back into the holster and then looked at Rachel. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'll live," she said simply, staring at the dead bodies.

Wade and the rest of the outfit were soon on the scene, emptying the coach of any money which seemed a pretty small amount. Ben looked across at Charlie as he walked past him, glaring nastily at his second in command. "Next time ah tell you to do something, Charlie Prince, you damn well do it!" he snapped.

As Wade walked away and joined his men that were raiding the coach, Rachel stood before Charlie and in that moment pushed herself into his arms. "Thank you," she whispered softly.


	9. Readin' and Fancy Dinin'

Chapter Eight

A/N: I plan on writing a sequel to this story. So be prepared for a long ride! Thank you again for the wonderful reviews and support. I love you all! grins

A few people have mentioned the Rachel/Charlie romance, so here are the first hints of it.

**Chapter Eight**

For the rest of the day, Rachel remained quiet, riding behind Charlie and then entering the nearest town. She knew the other men hated her; she could pretty much tell from their nasty glances and whispered conversation to one another behind dirty hands. A lump formed in her throat, threatening to cause tears to well in her eyes. She clung tighter to Charlie as if she may lose him. He was all she had now. In a world of violence, cheating and the animalistic ways of men only out to satisfy their own needs, Rachel was alone. As she held onto Charlie she at least felt some relief. He may not have been the most honest of men, but in the deepest depths of her heart, she knew she could trust him. Whenever he spoke to her, she'd look into his eyes and only saw sincerity. It seemed as if when with her, his heart became pure.

The outfit entered the town slowly, watching as residents looked on warily. Rachel rested her head against Charlie's back, feeling comfort. The smooth leather brushed against her cheek and she smiled to herself as her hands, which were wrapped around his midriff, felt his hard body beneath his layers of clothing.

Everyone left their horses that afternoon and immediately headed for the saloon, walking one behind the other through the swinging doors. As Rachel reached the steps, Charlie who walked beside her, put his hand out, gesturing for her to go first. "Thank you," she said softly, giving him a warm smile.

Charlie watched her go before him and felt that feeling pool in the pit of his stomach once more, trying hard to force it away and place more reasonable thoughts in his mind. Inside the saloon, Charlie reached up and took his hat away from his hair. When with the outfit and ready to drink, Charlie would normally stand beside the Boss. But today he remained by Rachel, watching on as the other men smirked teasingly at them both.

Kinter looked at Charlie, grinning perversely, his yellow and stained teeth showing under a bushy mound of facial hair. "Fucked her yet, Charlie?" he cackled.

Charlie's eyes flashed with deep anger. "You say one more word like that, Kinter, and you'll be pickin' ya teeth up off the floor." Rachel immediately shied away and sat down on the seat next to a quiet table in the corner.

Patrons who were already occupying a few of the tables watched the gang of outlaws with great interest, and then let their gaze rest on Rachel. What was an average looking girl doing out here with a group of men such as these?

Sitting on her own, Rachel began to notice the rounds of stares that were locked on her from other men who seemed to be regulars to the saloon. Her eyes rested on one man who was groping one of the waitresses. He had a disgusting, yellow grin on his dirty face. But the woman didn't seem to put up much resistance from the man. Rachel couldn't believe what she was seeing. She knew full well through the years that women had been down trodden and treated like mere property to men, but this was outrageous.

Charlie dropped himself down opposite Rachel, exhaling loudly and took off his hat. His head had grown increasingly warm. "Ya sure you're okay?" he asked, giving her a weak smile of reassurance. "Bin quiet."

"I'm fine, thank you," Rachel replied softly.

xxx

The outlaws remained down in the saloon for sometime whilst Rachel got herself comfortable upstairs. Charlie had practically demanded that she go and rest. Her face had been too pale for his liking, and he was concerned that seeing the two men being shot dead that morning had affected her.

Rachel lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what everyone back home was thinking. All she could think of was her parents' faces upon the news that she had disappeared. Sighing loudly, she knew that she was destined to remain here now for the rest of her life. That spell which had been said back home had well and truly trapped her in this God forsaken place. It was hot, the men were animals and there was nothing here for her. Her place was back home with her family, not in an old Midwest town with a gang of stealing outlaws.

Suddenly the old wooden door to the room creaked open and Charlie stepped inside. Much musing and questioning was present on his face. His bright green eyes flashed from under the brim of his old Stetson hat. "The Boss has gone South with some of the boys," Charlie announced. "So we're gonna stay in town for a while."

"Is he coming back?" Rachel asked, sitting up and placing her back against the headboard of the bed.

"Yeah, but it's best he stays away from here caus' of the raid this mornin'. He should be back in a few days."

Rachel watched Charlie shut the door behind him and approach her. She couldn't help but smile and feel some flash of a strange feeling well up inside her. Blushing, she looked away.

"How 'bout some readin' and then tonight ah take you out?" Charlie asked, winking playfully.

"Take me out where?" Rachel asked, smiling back at him.

"Some fancy dinin'."

Rachel merely laughed and moved across a little on the bed so Charlie could rest beside her. He pulled off his jacket, revealing his red shirt beneath. He watched in silent admiration as Rachel picked up a book from the bedside table which had been left in the drawer. How he held himself back from her, he didn't quite know. The way her small hands dusted the front of the book and the way she looked up at him, her pale green eyes sparkling so brightly. It made something churn violently inside him; something which tore at his heartstrings.

"Right, let's start," Rachel said, clearing her throat and opening the dusty book to the first page.

Charlie began to read, slowly at first, but gradually he picked up a steady rhythm. Rachel's finger followed the lines, guiding him along. She enjoyed listening to him and the way he accented certain words, it was almost amusing to her.

Nightfall came outside the window and the bright sun set peacefully. "How long have we been reading?" Rachel asked, yawning and stretching her tired legs.

"Good couple'a hours," Charlie replied, closing the book.

"You're much better though," Rachel told him, pulling her leg up onto the bed under herself. "I can hardly tell you had any reading problems at all now."

"Ya must be a good teacher."

Under the murky candlelight, Charlie looked at Rachel, his heart beating a mile a second. Slowly he reached up, curling the palm of his hand around her cheek. He watched as Rachel grew extremely embarrassed, but that wasn't at all his intention to make her feel that way. But she didn't pull away either. He took this as a damn good sign and moved towards her quickly.

Violently, their lips meshed. Charlie's eager tongue shot out in search for Rachel's and he was so pleased to hear a gentle groan of delight come from her. His hand crept around her neck, his fingers lacing through her locks. Suddenly, she pulled away, gasping for air. "Charlie….we shouldn't," she whispered. Her cheeks were flushed a bright crimson red.

"I'm sorry," Charlie muttered.

"Don't be sorry," she told him. "But this…it's just, I don't know. I don't belong here."

"Ah just can't stop mahself feelin' what ah do for you."

For once, the vulnerable side to Charlie Prince had been released. Around Rachel he could unleash the warmth which had been for so many years locked away, with a layer of ice keeping it hidden.

Rachel reached across and took his hand, holding it tightly in her own. So many emotions danced in his eyes, swarming among the emerald depths. "Lets get outta here for awhile," Charlie announced, getting up from the bed.

xxx

Charlie and his companion for the evening walked along the main high street of the town. Rachel had remained quiet much of the time and only replied to questions Charlie threw at her. In all honesty, she was going over in her mind how she felt about the situation with Charlie. Surely if she was destined to remain locked in this time, Charlie was her only protection. He obviously felt something for her, and she knew she felt something for him in return.

"How about something to eat?" Charlie asked suddenly, diverting their current topic of conversation which had been his excelling in reading.

"That sounds good to me," Rachel replied. "I feel like I'm wasting away."

Together they walked up the steps of a relatively small dining area. Rachel glanced around, noting that it was mainly men with lady friends who had come in here, so at least she and Charlie didn't stand out much.

Rachel took a seat at the back, feeling stares on her back as she did so. Charlie followed on behind and was quite surprised to see a pretty waitress come over as soon as they took their seats. "Give us two plates of whatever ya got," Charlie instructed, and instantly turned his attention back to Rachel. The waitress cussed under her breath and rushed off, a look of daggers present on her young face.

"You sure pissed her off," Rachel giggled, resting her arms on the old, beaten table.

"Ah don't care if ah piss 'em off," Charlie replied. "Ah'm not fussy with food."

Silence fell upon them once more while they waited for their food. Rachel knew she was being unreasonable with Charlie, and at least if they formed some kind of relationship he'd always be with her, to protect her and provide for her. She knew she was lucky in that way.

"Here's ya food," the waitress said flatly and placed two large steaks on the table in front of Charlie and Rachel.

Rachel couldn't help but study the woman's dress. It was long and frilly, but her breasts were pushed upwards, looking larger than normal. It disgusted her so much how women were oppressed and dressed up like whores. By the time she tore her gaze away from the waitress, Rachel saw that Charlie had already began tucking into his food, cutting away angrily at the leather-like steak.

"Mmm, it's not bad," Rachel commented, taking her first bite. She felt the tough meat be tossed around her mouth and then flushed down her throat. It made her swallow hard over the leathery texture. Cooking in this time certainly left a lot to be desired.

"I take it you're enjoying the food?" Rachel asked, giggling at the sight of Charlie so ravenously eating his dinner.

Rachel left half of her steak, not able to eat anymore. It had left her with a dislike for beef which would probably remain with her for the rest of her life. The meat tasted burned and it was like chewing on an old shoe. At least it was food.

xxx

Under the moonlight, Charlie and Rachel took a leisurely stroll back to their room at the old saloon just down the street. Rachel looked up, revelling in the spectacular sight of the bright stars overhead. She had always loved just star gazing, wondering if wishes could indeed come true. One wish that she'd constantly asked as for a man who she'd love for the rest of her life. True love was something she'd always so desperately wished for.

"Charlie? If you could have anything you wanted, what would you wish for?" Rachel asked, stopping suddenly.

Charlie stopped in his tracks to see Rachel staring up at the sky. A beaming smile was on her face. "Ah don't deserve to be given anythin'," Charlie said waspishly.

Rachel frowned, furrowing her dark eyebrows. "Surely there's something you've always wanted since you were a little boy." She tore her gaze from the sky and looked at Charlie.

"Ah'd wish to be happy," Charlie replied finally, swallowing hard.

"If you're not happy, Charlie, you can go out there on your own and make a new life for yourself surely," Rachel said, looking at him with much compassion swimming in her eyes. "I know you've had a rough past, but you'll heal in time. Focus on your life now."

"Ben Wade did a lot for me. I owe this to him," Charlie replied.

"But if you're unhappy doing this, walk away from it. It's not worth jeopardising your happiness for, is it?"

"This is mah way of life now, Rachel. Ah can't just walk out of it."

"Of course you can!" Rachel exclaimed, placing her hand on his arm. "I walked away from my life with my family and made a new life on my own. You've got the strength inside you to do it. I know you have."

"Ah can't walk away from him…." Cutting him off, Rachel placed a kiss against Charlie's lips and wound her arms around his neck. Their tongues battled for a minute or so as Charlie curled his arms around Rachel's waist, pulling her flush against him.

As their kiss ended, Rachel said quietly with a smile, "You can do anything you put your mind to."


	10. Caught In The Act

**Chapter Nine**

Rachel lay in bed that night after spending an evening with Charlie. Her head was spinning along with the shadows which danced hauntingly on the ceiling. Everything which had happened so quickly these last few hours was making her temples throb. She'd kissed Charlie! And more than anything she'd enjoyed it; he made her feel so aroused beyond anything she'd felt before. Was it that danger? A shiver raced up her spine and spread tingles throughout her body right down to the tips of her toes. In the arms of a dangerous outlaw was the safest place to be.

Behind her she could hear Charlie snoring lightly. When they'd arrived back at the room she'd excused herself quickly to bed, not wanting to remain alone with him in silence where all manner of things could happen. Just the thought of him touching her in a provocative, sexual way sent another round of shivers through her. She'd seen Charlie's fierce nature and brutality…the bottom line was this- it turned her on.

xxx

The next day passed slowly whilst Rachel remained indoors with the outlaw by her side. She and Charlie spent the morning reading again. During the session, Charlie was more preoccupied with Rachel; he needed her, his body felt it. As he read along, he slipped so many times, finding that his mind was ablaze with indecent thoughts. "What's the matter?" Rachel asked, closing the book a moment. "You haven't been concentrating this morning, Charlie."

Charlie bit on his bottom lip so hard that he tasted the blood in his mouth, bitter and almost metallic. He couldn't fight off the lust which was holding onto him desperately, making his instincts over ride his rational thought. His red hot gaze burned through Rachel's defences and gradually she inched closer toward him, knowing what he wanted.

They kissed. But it was different this time. Rachel rose up onto her knees on the bed, curling her arms tightly around him and forcing everything from within her into this kiss. He made her feel so alight, so wanted. She moaned loudly as Charlie's hungry lips began caressing her neck, suckling gently on her skin.

He really didn't know if he could hold on any longer and without even thinking, he pushed her down forcefully onto the bed, his hands desperate to get under her clothing. "Charlie!" she called out, growing nervous due to his sudden change in behaviour. That lust had grown too much now and he needed some kind of a release.

Charlie never listened and continued kissing her sweet neck whilst feeling her. Rachel couldn't help it and put her head back, allowing him intimate access to her. Every trail his hand left across her skin made it feel as if it were burning. She couldn't put a stop to how pleasurable it felt at that moment and remained silent.

Suddenly the door to the room burst open and three armed men stood there, aiming their weapons directly at Charlie and Rachel. "Off the bed…now!" they demanded, a round of voices booming at once through the air.

Rachel shot up, her whole body instantly beginning to shake at the sight of the law staring down the barrel of their weapons. Charlie rose slowly, knowing that there was no way out of this; he sighed and felt his hands being tugged at roughly.

"Charlie Prince, you're under arrest," the Marshall announced, approaching him, his gold badge shining brightly on his chest. "And don't think we're gonna go lightly on your lady friend here. She's comin' too. Good job we have friends in this town otherwise we'd never have found ya. Where's the rest of your gang, Prince?"

"Ah ain't telling' ya jack shit," Charlie spat. The Marshall pushed Charlie down onto the bed, his face pressed against the sheets tightly as all weapons were taken off him.

Rachel cried out in pain as she felt her hands being pulled together and locked in old style handcuffs. The Marshall was right, they weren't going to go easy on her. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked across towards Charlie, sensing guilt and sadness locked away behind his anger. Then with one final tug, she was dragged out the hotel room.

She could hear Charlie's protests, loud and clear, as she was pulled forcefully down the staircase. "Bein' an outlaw; that's the lowest anyone can go!" the man growled in her ear.

"I'm not an outlaw!" Rachel cried out. "I've never done anything illegal in my life."

"Sure…." With that, she heard him chuckle evilly behind her.

On show to everyone in the town, Rachel and Charlie were dragged away, being forced to walk at a quick pace. Rachel's heartbeat sped up so quickly that she could hear the blood swimming in her ears and the adrenaline made her whole body feel as though it were on fire.

Charlie was soon being pulled directly besides Rachel. "They won't hurt you, ah swear," he whispered across to her, his green eyes swelling with so many emotions. A gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Shut the hell up!" the Marshall roared, kicking Charlie directly in the stomach, causing him to drop to his knees in agony. His face crumpled up in pain.

"No! Stop it," Rachel screeched, tugging harder from her restraints.

"Get up, ya piece of shit!" Charlie felt himself being pulled to his feet, but the pain was still soaring through his abdomen.

Cheering roared through the streets as residents and patrons watched on, spectators to this scene before them. Another pair of outlaws, caught after being spied the night before, minding their own business whilst they ate a meal together. The walk seemed to last forever as they were pulled along, being mocked and laughed at.

At the Marshall's Office, both Rachel and Charlie were taken through the small wooden building to a room at the very back and shoved into holding cells. Rachel was pushed forward so forcefully that she was momentarily knocked off her feet and hit the wall hard, sending a rod of hot pain through her elbow.

"How the _fuck_ did they find us?!" Charlie spat, kicking at the locked cell door.

Rachel looked up, from the barred cell next to Charlie's. "I want to go home," she moaned, her back sliding down the bars. She held her head in her hands and let the tears drip relentlessly down her flushed cheeks. "Please God, I want to go home…"

"Ah doubt God's gonna help us with this," Charlie said quietly, sitting down on the cold floor, his back to Rachel's. Truth be told, Charlie had been arrested on numerous occasions, but Ben Wade had always been there to get him out. As he sat on the ground, he turned to see Rachel's head held low and heard the sound of her faint weeps. So far she'd remained strong, so much stronger than most people would in her situation…not that many people HAD been in this situation. "Rachel?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah?" she replied, turning to look at him, her eyes red and sore.

"Ah'm sorry."

"I'd probably be doing a lot worse right now if I hadn't of met you," she replied, sniffing over the tears and smiling weakly.

Awkwardly, Charlie reached through the bars, still wearing the iron cuffs and took Rachel's hand in his. "We'll get out of here, ah promise."

As their gazes locked, Rachel couldn't help but feel so comforted by the expression on his face and the warmth in his eyes. The turbulence of his anger when she'd first met him a week ago had gradually waned, leaving only appreciation and kindness in its place.

In the heat of the afternoon, Rachel rested her head against the bars next to Charlie and let herself drift away, constantly being pulled every few minutes from the peace, her rational mind trying to remind her of the danger she faced. Somehow, knowing that she was with Charlie seemed to ease her worry. Whatever she now faced, she faced it with him. Looking back on the days she had been here in this time and place, Rachel knew she'd been lucky that Charlie Prince had found her. By now she could have already been dead, badly injured or raped. It was because of him that she was sitting her -even though locked behind bars- breathing. Without him she was pretty sure she'd have been in even more dire circumstances.

Rachel reached through the bars and took Charlie's arm, curling her own around it and then she placed her head against shoulder. Thankfully the width of the bars gave them both enough access for physical contact however limited.

Charlie's lips brushed across the top of her head, hovering, not sure whether to lean in and kiss her reassuringly. The emotions and sensations he felt whenever she was near was something completely alien to him, but somehow it felt so right. One promise of many swirled around his head, one promise he was starting to hope he didn't have to see come to fruition: the promise he'd made to see her return home safely. Something pressed on a nerve whenever he thought of it. He didn't want to see her go, but he knew it was where she belonged. This era wasn't her rightful place and only put her life in danger, especially if she remained beside him.

"Are you alright?" Charlie asked quietly, watching Rachel begin to fiddle with the buttons on her shirt.

"As okay as I'll ever be, I suppose," she replied absently.

Suddenly the Marshall appeared in the doorway of the holding cells, his hands in his pants pockets. "Well, well, well, Charlie Prince actually has a heart?" he mocked, walking into the room. The middle aged man's dark eyes surveyed nature of his prisoners' relationship. "Where you pick her up? A brothel?"

Charlie looked up at the Marshall, gritting his teeth in hot anger which burned throughout his entire body. "When it comes to women, ah actually have taste," Charlie hissed.

"Does she know exactly how many people you've killed?" the Marshall asked, stepping up to the cell and staring Charlie directly in the eyes. "Or is she just as much of a bastard as you are?"

Rachel got to her feet and looked the Marshall up and down, studying his grey uniform and then coming to rest on his dark, overly suspicious eyes which looked out from under his hat brim. "I've always found myself highly attracted to dangerous men myself," she replied smoothly.

"You do know you could be facin' a hangin' like him?" the Marshall added. "Outlaws are automatically executed upon bein' caught. Accomplices, dependin' on their track record, either hangin' or a very long time in Yuma prison. By the time you got out, you'd be grey."

"Seeing as I have no track record looks like Yuma for me then?" Rachel asked, trying hard to keep her cool. She could still feel her heart racing a mile a second, but she remained calm.

The Marshall couldn't help but smile. "You're just as much as wise ass as him, ain't you?"

"Comes with the tag of being an 'outlaw'," Rachel retorted, feeling confidence swell in herself from some unknown source.

"You'd better make sure ya sleep tonight. It's Yuma for you two in the mornin'," the Marshall said loudly and then stormed out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Rachel felt her legs buckle underneath her and give way, sending her to the floor. "I can't believe I just spoke to him like that," she said softly.

Charlie smiled and looked at her, she smiled back in response. "For a woman, you sure got some guts. Ah've never seen a girl speak to the law like that."

For a short while, Rachel and Charlie sat down next to one another, although the bars keeping them separated. "Are you scared?" Rachel asked, looking up at Charlie, trying to decipher the look in his eyes.

"Ah'm tryin' not to be. But when you're facin' the noose and have no idea if you'll get away, ya can't help but let the panic take hold. There's so much in life ah never did. Never got a chance to do. And…ah-" he stopped suddenly, swallowing hard. On this very rare occasion he found himself stuck for words. "Ah meet a girl who doesn't see me as some low piece of dirt or only as a means to money." He looked at Rachel as he spoke. "She sees who ah am inside. And it's because of her ah wanna make sure ah get outta here this time."

Rachel blushed bright scarlet as she heard him speak to fondly of her. "I'm so glad I met you, Charlie." With no other words spoken, Rachel reached through the bars and took Charlie's hand, lacing her fingers tightly in his. It was with this simple gesture that they both knew where they stood in one another's eyes.

Love forms in the strangest of places….


	11. Pieces

A/N: Thank you so much for the kind reviews. I do, however, apologise for some of the typos. For example, I noticed I typed 'her' instead of 'here' Obviously because they're words anyway, my spellchecker doesn't pick them up. Damn thing! Anyway, here's the next chapter. And Kinky Boot Fiend, please don't eat my brain; I need it to write! Haha! Enjoy!

**Chapter Ten**

Darkness began to shroud the cells. Charlie and Rachel remained back to back against the bars, praying for some way out. In her time of desperation, Rachel began to think back to the many happy years she spent at home in England with her parents and older sister, Amy. One memory gave her some hope in this time of need; Christmas 1994.

_Dressed in a pair of Rugrats pyjamas, seven year old Rachel scurried down the stairs, hoping to catch a glimpse of the presents, and more importantly, Santa. Her eyes widened and a grin spread across her face as she eyed the array of colours through the banisters of the stairs. Gold, red, green, blue, silver. It was all so beautiful. But one present caught her attention. It was big and towered over the rest. _

_Giggling, Rachel jumped down the bottom step excitedly and rushed into the living room, holding her stocking which had been left on the end of her bed. Her little fingers traced the outline of it, feeling the hard shapes underneath the gold wrap. _

"_It__'__s a bike!__"__ she exclaimed, growing so thrilled that Santa had brought her the present she wanted. Then she studied the rest of the gifts, checking for ones which had her name on the tags. _

"I miss home," Rachel mumbled. "I miss mom and dad, my sister…I feel like I haven't seen them in years."

Charlie sighed. "Ah forgot what home feels like."

"I still wonder why I left and moved to America. It's like something in the back of head was urging me to do it. I cried so much when I left everyone back home."

In the gathering darkness, Rachel began humming one of her favourite songs. It was 'Pieces' by RED. "When I see your face, I know I'm finally yours….I find everything I thought I lost before…You call my name. I come to you in pieces so you can make me whole."

Charlie looked up suddenly from his lap. "What's that?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, just one of my favourite songs," Rachel replied quietly. "I used to listen to it all the time. My ex boyfriend used to say how crap it was."

The words caught Charlie's attention. "You had many boyfriends?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in question, not quite knowing what a 'boyfriend' was but having a good idea.

Rachel flushed a little and lowered her head. "Only one. I was with him for four years when I was back home, and then we split up. Have you…been with many women?"

Charlie noticed the way she stopped mid sentence, not quite sure how to word her question. "Depends on what you mean by 'bin with'. Ah've slept with women but never really felt anythin' for any of 'em."

"I only ever slept with one person. I can't give myself to someone I don't have feelings for," Rachel said timidly. "I don't believe in all this stuff about keeping yourself pure until marriage, but I still couldn't be with a man I don't love." Rachel looked through the bars and stared directly into Charlie's gaze which was shining brightly through the murky darkness. "Have you ever been in love before?" she asked suddenly, catching him off guard.

"No," Charlie half snapped. It made him think back to when he was fourteen and had pursued a local farmer's daughter named Rebecca. In his mind's eye he could still see her curly red locks which fell down her back in thick, luxurious waves. He remembered picking daisies out in the field to take to her, excited by the very thought of finally courting a girl. It had been his father who had changed his mind, telling fourteen year old Charlie that no girl would want him and he was good for nothing. The fresh daises wound up beneath his father's boot.

With a loud creak, the wooden door at the far end of the room opened and a young man appeared. His shy and nervous face peeped around the edge of the door, and he moved in slowly, lighting the oil lamps.

Rachel looked up, her gaze suddenly stopping on the young man who was still lighting the lamps around the edge of the room. A plan was formulating in her mind, cunning and far fetched. She wasn't sure if she could pull it off, but hope was all she had at the moment. Silent prayer slipped past her lips as she called the man across. "Hey, can you come here? I need help."

The man looked up, his scared eyes searching for Rachel. "Ah'm not sure ah should…."

"Please, I won't hurt you. I just need you to help me a minute."

Rachel watched as the worried young guy walked steadily over to her, keeping his distance. Looking down, she noticed he had a pistol at his side. "I take it you're the guard for tonight? Worked here long?"

"This is my third night. Ah watch over prisoners."

Charlie scoffed. "Yeah, as if we hadn't guessed that one."

"I imagine it gets cold and lonely on a night, doesn't it?" Rachel asked, peeping through the bars at him, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

Charlie watched Rachel in the corner of his eye, a smirk present on his face. Her hand reached through the bars towards the young man. "I can warm you up, you know?" she said seductively, her hand brushing against his shirt and moving downwards.

The young man swallowed hard, not sure whether to ignore her advances, or give in to it. Instinctively, he moved closer and then felt Rachel's hand cup his most sensitive area.

Charlie chuckled behind his hand, watching Rachel try and seduce this man who looked as though he'd barely made it out of puberty. He was skinny, his clothes hanging off him and around his face were the first hints of manly stubble, although the term 'manly' was to be used very loosely.

Rachel couldn't believe she'd resorted to such filth to ensure an escape for her and Charlie; if it got them out then so be it. "Open the door and I'll make sure you have a night you'll never forget," Rachel told him, placing her hand on her hip and winking at him. Charlie still remained in the corner of his holding cell, trying hard not to laugh. During all this, Rachel had her hand firmly cupped between the guy's legs. His facial expression was one of intense shock. "Come on, don't be bashful now," Rachel continued, almost throwing Charlie into a full fit of laughter, but he stifled it successfully.

Quickly, and with shaking hands, the young guard reached for his cell keys, held on to a large iron ring and opened the door as fast as he could. For a minute or so, Rachel tried her best to make it seem as though she were genuinely interested in the skinny whelp. Her hands fiddled with the buttons on his pants, and suddenly, after enduring too much, she grabbed the gun from his holster. She fingered the trigger nervously. "Were you really born yesterday?" Rachel asked sarcastically, pointing the loaded pistol directly at the petrified guard's head. "That's got to be one of the oldest tricks in the book. Now, let Charlie out or I put a bullet in your skull, mate." Her British accent had grown more intense with the nervousness she felt; whenever she was placed in a difficult situation, she found her accent becoming thicker and broader.

Shocked and terrified, the young guard did as he was instructed and opened Charlie's cell, the iron keys jingling furiously in his shaking hands. Charlie merely chuckled dryly at the guard and stepped out of his cell, ready to get out of the place. Rachel followed on behind Charlie, turning back every so often to keep her eyes on the guard.

In the main front office, Charlie rooted around the desk and drawers, finding a piece of rope. It was dusk and thankfully not many were about. This would allow Rachel and Charlie enough cover to get a horse and get the hell out of town. "Tie the kid up," he told Rachel plainly, holding the rope in his hand. "And find somethin' to gag him with. He'll go and call for help, you can bet, as soon as we leave."

Rachel did as instructed, taking the rope and dashed back into the holding cells whilst Charlie searched for his Schofields. They were his initiation gift of sorts from Ben Wade once Charlie had proved himself useful to the outfit, and for many years had helped him in tough times. "You done yet?" he called impatiently, holding the guns in his hands, studying the barrels.

"Yeah, I am now," Rachel said, slightly out of breath. "He resisted a bit."

Charlie just grinned. "You're not all the good girl you seem, are ya?" he asked playfully. Then he handed one of his pistols back over to Rachel and shoved the other in his holster on his right hip.

"I've got the man's gun from back in the cell," Rachel said, looking at the gun in her hand, now un-phased by its presence there.

"Take it for good luck," Charlie said, reaching out and touching the small of her back, gesturing for her to go in front. "Now lets get outta here."

Together, Rachel and Charlie kept low and behind buildings, watching out for anyone who may have been out and about keeping a watchful eye over Millville. On the side of an old tavern was a dirty poster, but its black words were still bold and clear. Rachel looked at it a moment.

"Outlaws sabotaged postal wagon. Keep a look out for any suspicious business going on in town," Rachel read out. "They know it was us." It suddenly dawned on her after uttering those words that she'd used the plural word 'us', including herself in on this.

"Around here, Rachel, everyone knows it's us that raids coaches."

At the end of the row, Charlie could make out a small barn. "Head for the barn," he instructed, keeping a firm grip on her arm. "We need a horse." All around them they could hear the laughing and general chatter of the townspeople. At least under the night sky, they had a better chance of getting away safely.

Once they'd made it to the barn after ducking away and hiding behind buildings just long enough to rush away without being detected, Charlie ran in the barn and pulled down a set of stirrups and saddle from the far wall of the barn. Then he noticed an old bedroll on the ground by a stack of hay, which he picked up. That would be extremely useful for them. "Get the horse," he told Rachel who was still lingering by the door. Her breath was in gasps and her legs shook terribly with the nervousness and sheer fear.

"Okay," she replied simply and looked along the stalls, picking out a brown mare that had a white dash down it's nose. "Hey," she said softly, stroking down its face. It looked extremely similar to the horse they'd rode in on, but it seemed the healthiest one of the bunch.

Charlie put the saddle across the horse's back and then took the reins which were still on it, and guided the animal out. "Once we're out, get on in front of me," he instructed her again. "If anyone shoots, they hit me first."

The pair snuck outside with the horse and then once in the clear behind the barn, Rachel got on as quickly as she could, although awkwardly and moved forwards, giving Charlie enough room to jump on behind.

She felt safe as soon as Charlie's arms locked around her and picked up the reins. Rachel leaned back a little, feeling her back press against Charlie's strong chest. And then they were off.

Through the darkness of night, Charlie rode away out of town and kept going just long enough so that no one could find them. Rachel closed her eyes, the movement of the horse's gallops almost sending her to sleep. Charlie kept Rachel tight against him, protecting her as he'd always promised to do. Gradually the gallops slowed down into a trot. "Ah'll try and find somewhere for us to stay tonight," he told Rachel, his warm breath catching her ear. It sent a tingle of excitement down her spine.

The darkness was too dense for Charlie and eventually he found himself growing extremely tired. "We may just have to camp out somewhere." He didn't have enough energy left in him to go and find a roofed building for them, instead he jumped down off the horse, helping Rachel and guided her over to a wilting tree which had been scorched by the deadly sun.

Finally free, Charlie rested against the tree, his back pressing against the bark. Rachel nudged up against him, pushing her head onto his shoulder. And there, in the dead of night, they slept soundly.


	12. Being One

A/N: Warning! Adult content; the main reason this story is an M rating. If you don't like graphic sex, don't read.

**Chapter Eleven**

As dawn broke over the surrounding hills, Rachel shuddered, the icy air biting into her thinly covered skin. Charlie's arms kept her locked inside. "Mornin'," he said quietly, watching as she came to, dazed and tired.

All around them was wasteland and hills towering high above lower ground. "Have you been awake long?" Rachel asked, shivering and pulling herself in closer against Charlie.

"Not long," he replied, taking a quick and secret smell of her hair. Even though it hadn't been washed in a few days, it still smelt sweet. Rachel pulled herself up, stretching her tired muscles and yawning. Her head was spinning and a gentle, although painful, throb began to pulsate in her temples.

"I'll have to think up a stupid nickname for myself now that I'm a fugitive," Rachel said bitterly, her breath coming in short gasps as she tried so hard to become warm. She pulled her knees up to her chest, but suddenly she felt something soft around her shoulders.

Charlie draped his cream leather jacket around her perished shoulders and chuckled dryly. Suddenly Rachel turned to Charlie, grinning. "Lady Prince," she said simply. For a moment she grew nervous, noticing that Charlie's expression remained straight. A weak smile cracked his serious look. He looked up at her, letting himself drift away once again in her eyes.

"Ah like it," he whispered, moving closer to her, and he pressed his hungry lips to hers. Within seconds their kiss had grown extremely heated and passionate. Their lips moulded together as their tongues danced. Charlie's golden stubble tickled Rachel's sensitive skin, making her smile beneath their kiss. "What?" Charlie asked, irritated.

"Your beard tickles my mouth," Rachel replied, touching her upper lip softly with her fingertips. Charlie merely smiled in response, restraining himself from kissing her again.

"We'd better get movin'," Charlie announced, unwinding his arms from around Rachel after holding in the warmth. He got to his feet, and Rachel did too, brushing away the dirt and dust from her pants.

"Where to?" Rachel asked, looking out across the horizon; nothing was in sight.

Charlie thought a moment. "The boys headed south, tellin' me they'd be back in a few days. All we can do is head the way they went and hope we meet 'em."

Before the sun rose too high in the sky, Charlie and Rachel head off, travelling along the same track Wade and the rest of the outfit _should _have taken. Around her shoulders, Rachel still wore Charlie's jacket, but as the heat of the day grew more intense, she found herself breaking out into an uncontrollable sweat. Birds squawked high in the air and a gentle heat haze lingered on the horizon. All around them was nothing, only dead plants, abandoned cattle sheds and scorched ground, broken and beaten by travellers passing through.

Rachel clung to Charlie from behind, watching as the ground sped by so fast. He noticed how the tightness of her embrace changed from day to day. Now he could sense a definite strength and detected feeling in it.

xxx

That afternoon, Charlie paid for another room at a local saloon, giving them a generous amount of cash. He recognised the quiet saloon as one place where Wade always stopped, mainly because he'd been having a casual fling with the one maid there for a couple of years. Hopefully, Wade would still come through this way.

In the room, in the shade and safety, Charlie locked the door behind him and tossed the key over onto the bedside table. "Can I have a wash?" Rachel asked, stepping into the small bathroom. Her eyes studied the long tub and looked over the bottles on the table next to it.

"Yeah, sure," Charlie replied, stepping up behind her. "Ah might step in mahself when you've finished." But as he looked into Rachel's wide eyes he couldn't help himself any longer and pressed her back forcefully into the doorway, pushing his lips to hers.

They kissed passionately, enjoying the moment and revelling in the feelings they both shared. Charlie pulled at Rachel's shirt, impatience dominating the situation and then in response, she dragged off his top clothes, their lips still forced together so tightly.

Never before had Charlie heard a woman moan his name in such sheer pleasure and pull him closer to them, wanting him so much. She pulled him over to the bed, feeling that this was the right time. Somewhere along the line she'd fallen in love with him and now wanted to show that to him physically even if he didn't have the same feelings.

They continued removing one another's clothing as quickly as they could, ready to explore the exposed flesh. Charlie groaned as he leaned over her on the bed, feeling his member aching. Through his eyes she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life…inside and out. Slowly, he pulled from their kiss and brushed his hand gently down the side of her face, smiling as she took his hand from her cheek and kissed it.

Rachel opened her legs, her thighs pressing against his and they kissed again, hard and fierce. Her hand drifted down the light hairs on his chest and downwards, grasping his hard member. Charlie groaned loudly and closed his eyes, feeling as if he may fall over the edge there and then in her hand. His scent wafted up her nose, earthy and musty.

Charlie began sucking and nuzzling on her neck, letting her soft skin knead between his denied lips. She closed her eyes and concentrated solely on the electrifying sensations he was sending around her body. Gradually, he kissed downwards, nipping gently at her breasts and the skin which lead down to her rounded stomach.

Beneath Charlie's hard hands, Rachel's skin felt like pure silk. Her hips were curvaceous and nicely proportioned to the rest of her body. Then his hands brushed over her dark curls over the juncture of her thighs. "Don't tease me," she hissed, pushing her head back into the pillow.

Not able to hold on any longer, Charlie pushed himself inside her in one quick thrust. Rachel was completely caught off guard and gasped, feeling his member fill her. The initial penetration sent one rod of pain through her, but it gradually waned.

Charlie thrust slowly at first and then gathered a quicker rhythm. It satisfied him greatly, not just being inside a woman, but being one with Rachel at last now that he realised for the first time in his life that his heart belonged to someone. Rachel pushed her hips upwards, wrapping her legs around his waist, trying to push herself to climax. His now quicker thrusts touched on something deep within her and the ascension to her climax began.

It didn't take long before Charlie felt himself ready to hit his plateau. His low, guttural groans suddenly changed into a loud moan, all air escaping him and it was in that moment that he hit the barrier and fell over the edge. He closed his eyes, feeling the wonderful, final and turbulent wave wash over him.

Rachel held Charlie tightly and took him into her arm, his chest rising and falling dramatically. Slowly he withdrew from her and together they embraced. Charlie looked into Rachel's emerald eyes and smiled and then placed a gentle kiss against her lips. After a short while of silence, Charlie slipped away into a deep sleep. Rachel was left to look around the room, studying the faded paintwork and gaze absently out the window. Everything was so quiet, maybe a little too quiet.

Trying not to wake him, Rachel got up from the bed and dressed quickly back into her original clothing. She picked up a few dollar coins which Charlie had left on the beside table and exited the room quietly, the room keys in hand and Charlie's Schofield in her pocket. Hopefully he wouldn't notice her disappearance.

Rachel kept a wary eye out as she walked through the main swinging doors of the saloon downstairs and out into the blazing sun which burned her cheeks. Her stomach rumbled, telling her she needed nourishment. She decided to quicken her pace and headed down to a store which sold food. In the windows were strung up animals, rabbits mainly. Disgusted, Rachel turned away and walked inside. Everything was so neatly stacked along the wooden shelves which dominated much of the wall space.

A young woman dressed in an abundance of frills and lace seemed to stare at Rachel suspiciously. Two noisy children, a curly, blonde haired boy and a darker haired, older girl trailed on by obediently. Maybe Rachel had grown paranoid, but she was starting to feel as if everyone were watching her.

With a flush of embarrassment, Rachel purchased a small bag of assorted fruit and two large pies for herself and Charlie. "Anythin' else, Miss?" a grey haired woman asked who was serving behind the dusty counter.

"No, thank you," Rachel replied, keeping her head held low, and as soon as she received her change for the items, she dashed out the store like a flash of lightening.

xxx

"Rachel?" Charlie called, sitting up in bed, the bed sheets pooling in his lap. He called again- still no reply. A flash of panic spread through him all of a sudden. What if someone had taken her?

He bolted out of bed, grabbing his pants when the door creaked open. "Good morning," Rachel said cheerfully, appearing around the edge of the door with a bag of food. She placed it down on the bed upon stepping inside the room.

"Where you bin?" Charlie asked, his face angry and questioning.

"I just went out and fetched-"

"No!" Charlie snapped, cutting her off. "You don't go out on your own."

"Excuse me. You don't own me."

"No, ah don't, but some guy out there might get it into his fat skull that _he _ does," Charlie shouted. "Ah don't wanna risk anythin' happenin' to you."

Rachel went silent and sat down slowly. She knew Charlie was right, and she knew that he only wanted her safe. Her voice became a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Charlie sat beside her and smiled. "Ah promised ah'd get you home, and ah wanna make sure you get back in one piece."

"What if I don't want to go back?" Rachel asked quietly, looking directly into Charlie's eyes. Her heart beat so fast, and as she looked into his eyes, which always looked like a rough sea, she knew she loved him.

Charlie brushed his hand down her face, watching her close her eyes as he did so. "This isn't the right place for you, Rachel," he replied, a small lump rising in his throat. Was she really prepared to stay for his sake? "You have a family who love you, and a life. Ah'd be selfish to want you to stay."

"Don't you want me to?"

"For me, more than anythin', but for you, no. It's too dangerous here."

Rachel took a deep breath. "You know how I told you I can't sleep with anyone if I don't feel something for them? That still stands, Charlie." Her eyes gazed over his face, taking in his features, his long nose, dirty blonde hair, and rosebud lips which peeped out underneath golden stubble. Next to all the guys she'd had crushes on over the years, Charlie outshined them all; he was a true man.

"How could you…have feelings for someone like me?" he asked, lowering his furrowing his eyebrows in question. "Ah know what ah do is wrong. Ah've killed men and bin a bastard."

"There's a good man inside you struggling so hard to be free. And that's all I see when I'm with you, when you look at me. You're not all bad. Not to mention, you're good in bed." With that, she winked playfully.

Charlie looked at her and knew that he'd kill a man for her no questions asked. Only two people mattered now in his life, his Boss and Rachel. They shaped him and made him feel whole, gave him identity.

A short while later, Rachel and Charlie tucked into their dinner which she'd brought earlier and did a little more reading. "I don't know why we keep having lessons. You're a better reader than me," she told him, complimenting his performance.

"Ah wouldn't go that far; you're the writer out the two of us," Charlie chuckled. "So you must be able to read pretty well for that ah expect."

"I suppose so. At college I have to sift through crap like Shakespeare," she moaned, giving him a disgusted look.

"He wrote plays, right?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, it's all you learn about at school in English. It's so annoying."

By now the lamp was going low, but that didn't stop Rachel and Charlie staying awake and talking long into the night.


	13. Holy Advice

**Chapter Twelve**

_Rachel_

I lay in bed early that morning, unable to sleep. Charlie was still beside me, his bare chest peeping from under the thin sheets. The way he looked at me sometimes, it made me feel so invigorated, so wanted and alive. I couldn't explain how or why, but it just did.

For a while I just watched him, his light eyelashes fluttering every couple of seconds. He was probably dreaming. I'd noticed that sometimes he called out in his sleep, although I never quite understood who or what he was calling for. There was so much pain locked inside him, and it made me ache whenever I looked at him. Sometimes I could see the sorrow in his eyes, burning brightly, and I so wanted to take that away from him. Erase all his bad thoughts.

I loved him. Someone I'd never even known existed and I'd fallen in love with him. It made me think back to when I'd been in my last relationship, with Dean. Memory can be such a strange thing; I couldn't even remember quite clearly the first time I went out with him. All I remember was seeing him in my college lessons for a month or so before we eventually wound up talking.

Later on we began meeting up and going shopping or seeing films at the cinema. He grew into my best friend for a few months before we kissed, and even that, I couldn't quite recall. Maybe it had been the intensely painful break up that had blocked it all out; repression. The one memory I was able to easily recall about my four year relationship with Dean was silly really. It was one afternoon when my pet rat had died and he just held me, telling me everything was okay as I sobbed for my poor Daisy.

Charlie Prince was an entirely different creature all together. And that was what excited me so much about him. I couldn't imagine him embracing me over the death of a pet, doing the little things. But I could see him doing so many things that counted against all others. And if there was thing I'd learned about him, it was that he was always unpredictable. While his expression told me one story, the light in his eyes told me something entirely different. Then his behaviour would contradict everything I'd just seen in his face.

The first time I saw him raise his gun in my defence and that had made me see there was something right and just inside his soul. I couldn't deny that Charlie used to scare me…big time. I always felt as if he held my life in his hands, and he could easily put me down in one fell swoop. Now, I felt completely comfortable and protected with him.

I nudged myself against him and pressed my nose and lips to his neck. It made me smile, but I knew how he made me feel inside was something I'd never feel again. Gradually, Charlie moved a little and a sly grin spread across his face. He had such a boyish grin, so happy and content.

Teasing, I began kissing down his neck and onto his chest. I wanted to turn him on; I wanted him to want me again like he had the day before. "Maybe you shouldn't do that," Charlie half whimpered, but I just continued on, pressing him down gently with my hand. I was determined to take charge this time. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into here." I just giggled and carried on.

Charlie suddenly rose up forcefully, grabbing me tightly and pulling me down. It was like whirlwind, and before I knew it I was on my back looking up at him. Now that I'd tasted what it was like to be with Charlie, I wanted more, so much more. The adrenaline was pumping in me and I could feel my heart racing, my stomach fluttering and heat spreading everywhere inside me. His kiss was hot, demanding, and above all arousing beyond anything I'd felt.

The days I'd spent with him had made me see him so much clearly. I now saw him through plain glass, rather than it being frosted. He was ready to fight for me, protect me, and that made my love burn even deeper.

All I knew was that right now, in this time and place, I didn't want to go home. I wanted to stay beside Charlie, be an outlaw if need be, and venture everywhere with him. Saying those words inside my head scared me. I'd fallen for a man who killed to get by and stole money. Talk about being non-judgmental. And I knew why I'd fallen in love; it was because he was dangerous. That thrill, oh, it was so electrifying. Knowing that a man would protect you against all odds and he's one of the most ruthless men alive? That really was something. But why was I so special to him?

I wanted to tell him I loved him, but how could I? I knew how outlaws were and it scared me to think that Charlie didn't feel the same way about me. Maybe he really was using me for his own gains and pleasures.

As we kissed, he touched me, lighting a trail of such intense sensations, and then he moaned my name. It was the first time he'd done it and something snapped inside me. I couldn't control myself and the words fell out, "I love you."

Charlie stopped a moment and looked at me. His eyes seemed to grow deep in thought, and I was sure I saw tears welling up in his sea green depths. "And ah love you," he whispered so quietly. It was barely audible.

I pulled away from him and sat up in bed, only wearing my underwear. "I know you don't feel the same way, and I'm sorry," I said, looking down at my feet on the rug. "I shouldn't have said anything."

And then before I realised exactly what I was doing, I began getting dressed frantically. I felt so stupid. My cheeks were bright red because I could feel them burning. Then suddenly I felt something grab my wrist and I looked up into Charlie's eyes. He studied me for a moment, his face straight. But I couldn't hold his gaze and looked away again.

"Look at me," he demanded, his voice firm and demanding.

I looked up slowly, my heart pounding. I could hear the blood rushing to my ears.

Then he spoke. "Ah'd never lie to you," he said simply. The tension between us was unbearable, but I endured it. "All that ah am, good and bad, is yours." I could sense from his expression that he was just as embarrassed as I was, but Charlie had always seemed to have much better defence mechanisms than me.

"Then let me stay with you," I begged.

"This isn't the life for you, Rachel!" he hissed. "Ah promised ah'd help you go home, and ah'm not gonna break that promise. You can be happy back home, have a good man who'll do more for you than ah ever could."

"But I don't want….." And before I could comprehend what was happening, tears fell down my cheeks.

"Whether you like it or not, ah'm seein' you go home," Charlie said again, more demanding this time. It made me angry, so much in fact that I pulled on the remainder of my clothes as quickly as possible.

"Leave me alone," I growled at him evilly, and shot to the door.

Then he grabbed my arm again, stopping me. "I said leave me!" I screamed, pushing him back with all my might. Sometimes my anger could come in destructive outbursts like this, most of my family knew about that. Why wouldn't he let me stay?

I knew I was being extremely impulsive and wanting to throw away my life for a man I'd only known about ten days. I'd be leaving all my family behind in a different world; they'd never know what happened to me.

To my surprise, Charlie did as I instructed and left me alone. My arms wrapped around myself, I walked down the steps of the saloon and out the front door, ignoring the jeering from local regulars. Their taunting became a blur somewhere in the back of my mind. All I could focus on was the heartbreaking grief I was feeling. I was completely torn. Charlie only wanted what was best for me, and I realised that, thanking him from the bottom of my heart for such devotion and kind incentive.

The afternoon previously had made me feel so much more connected to him. I'd allowed him intimate access to my body, of which only one other man had ever been given. But that passion made my head spin. It was pushing me to want to stay with him. Unlike the man before, he made me feel good about myself.

I trudged up the main dusty street, keeping my head low as the sun burned the back of my head through my hair. Set back from all other buildings was a small chapel. On the roof was a simple wooden cross, symbolising its purpose and message. I'd never been a devout follower of a particular faith, but I'd always tried to believe in something more than myself and everyone I knew.

I opened the heavy door, listening to it creak. Echoes resounded around the seemingly empty building. Shafts of light illuminated the aisle. I glanced around, noting that the windows weren't stained glass like the churches back home. The building was very simple in its design. Pews were rowed from the back to the front before the alter which was merely a wooden cross on a table covered in white cloth.

A church in an old run down town? It seemed so out of place and strange to me. My boots thumped hard against the wooden flooring, alerting a man who I then noticed standing behind the alter. He was obviously the priest of this particular church where people would congregate every Sunday morning.

"Can ah help you?" he asked in a deep tone, his accent quite thick. He was only a young man, looking not much older than Charlie. He had thick curly brown hair and thin stubble on his cheeks and chin. With a smile he sat down on the front pew and looked at me with bright blue eyes.

On the cross at the front, I stared at the carving of Jesus and sighed. My hands curled around the edges of my shirt and my heart beat faster. "D…do you think everything happens for a reason?" I asked, stuttering a little.

"Of course. We all receive help from the Lord who helps us along in our destiny," he replied softly. "Is there a reason why you ask, Miss? Nothing will go any further than this building. Ah can assure you of that."

Feeling like piece of furniture which was out of place, I sat down next to the priest. "I…um, fell in love with a man recently…" I began, feeling so ridiculous. I was blushing again. Damn my confidence, or lack of.

"Mmhmm."

"Well, I know that he's not the best man for me, but he doesn't want me to live the same life he does. He thinks I'm safer with my family. I don't know what to do about any of it."

"That is tough," he said, clasping his hands together and moving forward a little in his seat.

"And I feel like meeting him was meant to happen."

"Perhaps, yes. Ah know our hearts can lean towards those who aren't the most righteous of men. But to me, he seems as though he genuinely wants what's best for you, and that's something you don't find often. Ah wish ah could sit here and tell you what to do. Believe me, ah've seen a lot of faces who need that guidance in their lives."

I couldn't help but sigh. Why did life have to be so bloody complicated? "There's no way I can get back home, but he's promised he'll take me back there. I don't want to go." A lump rose in my throat and I pushed it down hard, but it hurt. "He's all I have."

The priest only smiled. "Maybe, as you think, you and he really were meant to be. If a way home is meant to be given to you, it will be. God will make sure you're safe and take you home, wherever that home is destined to be."

Suddenly the door to the chapel opened and a familiar figure walked in. Ben Wade. A light gust of wind hit me, giving me goose bumps. I rose from the pew and looked at him, wide eyed. I swallowed hard and stepped back a little, feeling fright take hold.

"Hey, Rachel," he said, giving me a smile. "Father." And with that he lowered his head. I watched in disbelief as he got to his knees, drawing the cross on his chest and sat in prayer for a few short minutes. I was pretty sure he had a lot to confess.

The priest looked just as gobsmacked as me. Did he know of Ben Wade? Around here everyone seemed to; he was one of the most dangerous men alive.

As Wade got up, I spoke. "Charlie's waiting for you."


	14. Admittin' It To Mahself and Him

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Charlie_

I slammed my fist into the thin wall, feeling the pain spread through my knuckles. Rachel was the only woman I'd ever felt like this about and I'd fucked things up. That's all I ever seemed to do. Damn! I was thankful it was the wall that had taken my fist rather than Rachel. I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd hit her.

I couldn't let her out on her own again. I couldn't watch her walk into danger and wind up hurt, or worse, dead. Of all the things I'd done in my twenty six years, that was one thing I'd never be able to forgive myself for. A promise was a promise. It was one promise I was determined to keep, even if it killed _me _in the long run. Then I'd at least know I died for something fair.

I grabbed my gloves, pulling them over my hands. The pain in my knuckles had at lest died down some now.

_The things men will do for a girl. _It was an old voice in my head from someone who I couldn't even put a face to. Over my ten years with the Boss I'd stared at so many men down the barrel of my six shooters so there was no way I could see every killed man singly in my mind. But whoever the owner of the voice was, they were right. Men really will do stupid things for women. Up until a short while ago I'd thought it a great steaming pile of bullshit. Now…I agreed wholeheartedly and rolled my eyes as I left the room.

Wherever Rachel had got to, I was hoping she'd spent enough time on her own to let off the steam. Hopefully there'd be a better chance of reasoning with her then.

That afternoon I scoured the town, checking all the places she could have gone. The town hall, saloons, stores…even the barns. I was pretty sure in the back of my mind that she hadn't left town, but I still felt physically sick, secretly scared shitless that she'd done something stupid.

She was so stubborn that it made me smile. I didn't admit it at first, but now I saw everything so clearly. I was in love with her. Rachel deserved a good man who'd cherish her and treat her like the princess rather than her having to see me be ridiculed as being one.

As an outlaw rumours spread quickly and stories form out of any old shit. One rumour that had followed me for quite a while now was that I was sweet on the Boss. Come on! That was just the most disgusting crap I could ever imagine. Women were my thing. Guy after guy I'd killed or beaten up for calling me goddamn 'Princess', but it still remained with me, following me around like a really bad smell. It made my blood boil.

Set back a little was a church, one place where I know I was never welcome. I doubted I was worth much in God's eyes. Suddenly as I was about to take the first step up into the place, something stopped me. Not even thinking, I dragged my arm away, and then looked down at an old haggard woman. Her face was dark, yet her eyes seemed bright. It took me off guard for a second. "Ah know how to get her back home," she whispered in a croaked voice.

I knew the best way to go about this was to act ignorant. "Ah have no idea what you're on about!" I snapped, stepping back from her. She knew something and even though I wanted to find a way to send Rachel home, to fulfill my promise, I was still suspicious as to who this crazy bitch was. "Get the hell away from me." Then I left her outside and stepped into the church, seeing three people standing at the very end of the aisle. One I instantly recognised as Rachel, but the second figure was someone I'd never expected- Boss.

Completely ignoring the priest, I walked towards Rachel, noticing that she only looked at me once and then looked down. "Charlie!" Boss said loudly, getting up from where he was kneeling. I'd never understood where his faith had come from. He was a man who led us lot of assholes on raids, yet he'd make sure he read his Bible at least once a year. As I saw it, religion is up to everyone who wants to believe, but for me, I just couldn't find anywhere in my life it fit. "The rest of the boys have checked in with you," Boss said, placing his black hat back in his head.

"Everythin' go okay?" I asked. It was something I always asked when we'd been separated.

"Sure."

That afternoon, once we were all back together in our normal group, we had a few drinks while telling any news we'd managed to come by. In the corner of my eye I couldn't help but watch Tommy carefully. If I let myself let rip, I'd have killed the fucker. All he did was leer at Rachel and I could tell a mile away she was uncomfortable. None of the other boys seemed to notice her, and that was how I wanted it to be. I'd never wanted Rachel to think I owned her; I respected her too much for that crap. But I still didn't want the rest of the outfit getting the idea that they could touch her or make passes.

Most of what Boss said went in my one ear and out the other. I felt myself coiling so damn much, like a spring, ready to pounce on Tommy.

"Ah'm sure Charlie treated ya well?" Tommy said in his slimy way which I hated.

Not realising, I cut across Boss. "Knock it off, Tommy!" I growled. I grit my teeth hard and felt my hand ball into a fist, ready to knock him out.

Rachel moved closer to me in her chair and looked up at me with her innocent eyes. Everyone else around the table stared at me, and I knew I had some answering to do once the rounds of questions came thick and fast. How I felt about Rachel was becoming too obvious now, and I knew I'd never be able to hide it.

"Can ah have a word, Charlie?" Boss asked, rising from his chair. He had a very suspicious look in his eye that I didn't like one bit. We moved outside and stood out on the small porch. I looked away, feeling too stupid to look at him. I knew he could see through me. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he spat.

"Ah don't like Tommy talkin' to her like that," I replied.

"Like that's ever bothered you before!"

Boss paced a little along the porch and then looked back at me, his eyes burning into me. "Ah know somethin' is goin' on with you and the girl," he told me. I just looked down again, kicking a stone away from under my boot. "You love her, don'tcha?"

I closed my eyes, admitting the shameful truth to myself, and then to him. "Yeah, ah do," I said quietly, squinting even under the brim of my hat.

He then did the last thing I ever expected him to do- he smiled. "Charlie…," then he sighed and looked away towards the sky; probably thinking about something. "Ah know you….Hell, ah trained you into what you are now. You don't open easily to anyone, so ah'm really wonderin' what this girl's done which is so special."

"She hasn't done anythin' special," I said. "She's just bin herself, ah guess." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Ah take it you're now askin' me for her to stay with us?"

I never answered, again, feeling so dumb and pathetic under his watchful eye.

"Ah promised to find a way home for her," I said finally, letting the words come.

"She's your responsibility. It still stands: if she holds us back, then she's gone."

"'Kay, Boss," I said feebly.

Just after my short conversation with Boss, I began wondering where that old hag from earlier had got to. Maybe a visit to her was something I needed to do. She was probably some bitch who'd lost all her bearings, but how did she know about Rachel? I sat in my chair between the Boss and Rachel, tapping my fingers on the table. This was my chance to make good on my promise and keep Rachel safe, no matter how much I knew it'd kill me to see her go. She just didn't deserve this crappy existence; she deserved so much better. And I was going to give her that.

Wherever she came from and whoever her family was, she'd see them again.

After my threat, Tommy began using his charm on the maid- typical; asshole. I always wondered why Boss had taken the piece of shit in. Potential he said it was. Yeah, right. All he did was hold us up and had once got us all locked up. Jackass.

"It's bin nice, boys, but ah'm gonna retire for a few hours," Boss said suddenly rising from his seat. I knew he was probably going to go out and find that maid he had his flings with. Every time we left this place, he'd say how good she was.

We all parted and headed for our rooms, most of us, yet again, bunking together. At least I had more pleasurable company than usual. I was able to wake up to a beautiful girl next to me, not to some fat bastard snoring, or even worse, farting. In all ways, this change was for the better.

Back in the room, I heard Rachel begin to mumble under her breath, moaning about the lack of technology…or some crap like that. I just lay on the bed, taking off my hat. "Yeah, but come on, we can make our own entertainment," I told her, laughing. That thought made me start to get hard. "Boss is on about another raid in a few days, so we'd better get as much of this in as possible."

She just laughed at me and sat down on the bed with her back to me. I wanted to see her face, so I put my hand on her shoulder, pulling her back some toward me.

Even though I was deadbeat, I still felt horny. She was constantly making me feel like this, and didn't even have to look at me, speak…nothing. Most other women hadn't got me feeling this built up until they were lying on top of me with all their clothes off.

After a minute or so, she moved back and lay down beside me. I'd better not push this. I wanted her again but I didn't want to upset her. The last thing I wanted to do was break the trust she'd built up toward me. My animal instinct would have to lay low a while.

I watched as she fell asleep pretty quickly, obviously real tired. Her head was against my chest. I smiled to myself, holding her. Everything grew so warm and so comfortable as I fell asleep too.

It was so dark when I finally woke up apart from one small spot of light from the other side of the room. I rolled over, squinting under the light.

"Rachel?" I called out, wondering where she was. I couldn't see a damn thing, only the light and even that made me see lots of bubbles in front of my eyes.

"Yeah?" her voice came back.

"Whatcha doin'?" I asked.

"Just trying to read under this light, but not having much success." Then I heard a book snap shut.

Before I realised what was happening, I felt her lips on mine again. I could only just see her, but could I _feel_ her. Even though I couldn't see her, I swept her up against me and let her take control like she always wanted. As a man, I wanted to take control, but I could sense that she wanted to be the leader here.

In the fading light of the lamp, I let that instinct rise. That night I had her again.


	15. Morning Stroll

A/N: I am so sorry about deleting the last few chapters. I feel that the way the story will go from now on will be for the better. I'm back! Enjoy! And once again, thank you SO much for your kind words and continued encouragement; I really couldn't do it if it wasn't for all of you.

**Chapter Fourteen**

Rachel was the first to wake the next morning. She opened her tired, aching eyes to see Charlie sleeping beside her. She couldn't help but lie there for a moment, propped up on her arm, and watch him. The feelings that took hold of her when she was with him was something she'd never felt before; whenever he graced a doorway she felt her heart drum so much quicker in her chest. And last night had been wonderful beyond words. She and Charlie had made love for the second time, but this time Rachel felt as if his behaviour had changed. The first time they'd given in to their feelings it had been demanding and hot. This time around Charlie seemed to spend more time savouring the moment and enjoying their intimacy the longer it lasted.

After a short while Rachel slid across the hard mattress and stood up from the bed, sighing and brushing a hand through her long locks of hair. She was hoping she'd be able to have a bath today, but she knew that in this time period filling baths of hot water took quite a long time. Places such as Arizona in this year didn't have water piping; everything involved trailing up and downstairs with buckets of water, and she didn't want to have to bother anyone with that.

The bright morning sun was shining through the lace curtains, beckoning for Rachel to go outside and enjoy the air. But she knew Charlie wouldn't like that. He'd already made his opinions known on her going out alone.

"Oh, sod it," Rachel muttered to herself and got dressed quickly, pulling the old pants back on and shirt she'd been wearing now continuously for at least a week. Being stuck in this room was suffocating her. However, before Rachel exited the room, she picked up the gun Charlie had given her, his old Schofield.

Downstairs was pretty quiet. There was only a maid flitting between tables making sure everything was clean. Rachel sighed to herself, wondering exactly what this woman's life was like here in the Old West. Surely it wasn't as cosy as some of the Westerns portrayed it to be, and even some of those gave a not-so-happy picture at life here.

"Can ah help you with somethin', Miss?" the maid asked, turning on her heel after sensing someone's presence behind her. Her long blonde curls bounced as she turned and there complimenting her well styled hair was a pretty face. She smiled at Rachel and pushed the old cloth she'd been cleaning the tables with into a cotton apron at her waist.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," Rachel replied. "I was just on my way out."

"You're bunking with the Prince guy, ain't you?" she asked, placing her hand on her hip, but the smile never faulted. "Ah've seen him around a few times. Doesn't seem to be the type'a person you get on the wrong side of, if you catch mah meanin'."

Rachel smiled to herself and stepped into the saloon slowly, her boots tapping loudly on the wooden flooring and echoing around the empty space. "He's not all bad. A lot of people seem to see the bad side of him."

The maid took out her cleaning cloth and began cleaning again, her hands tracing the outlines of the tables, making sure all dust was removed. "Ah suppose we all have good and bad sides to us."

"Do you need any help with that?" Rachel asked sheepishly, not wanting to appear rude.

"Oh, ah'm fine, Miss. Thanks for the offer though. Just makes me wonder what you're doin' with those guys. Not many girls would trade in their normal life to ride with men like that and be the type to offer a helpin' hand to a mere maid like mahself," she said, wiping her hand across her brow.

Rachel's face blanched as she was asked such a question. The truth would come over as insane, and she knew that even Wade still had a problem accepting it. Charlie was the only one who believed her. "I, um, left home and Charlie found me. He took me under his wing so to speak and looks after me." Rachel smiled again, not able to hold back how she felt about him.

The maid recognised the look in Rachel's eyes. "Ah know that look. You love him."

"Yeah, I do," Rachel replied, looking at the wooden flooring. "He's nothing like the man I imaged myself falling in love with though."

"That's somethin' none of us can ever predict. Ah fell for a man just short of my sixteenth birthday, and my father always reminded me that he was a nobody and would never be good enough for me."

"How did you end up here if you don't mind me asking?" Rachel asked in curiosity.

The maid's eyes filled with tears, but she forced a smile onto her face and looked up at Rachel. "None of that matters, Miss. Everythin' happens for a reason so ah know windin' up here will lead me to somethin' better. Ah pray every night for something to get me out."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said softly.

"It's not your fault. Do what makes you happy and keep your man while you have him."

Rachel didn't quite know what to say after that and said her farewells to the maid, walking out of the saloon in silence. The maid's words had pierced her heart, and it made her want to find a way out for the poor girl herself. She didn't look much older than Rachel, around twenty, and was stuck in a life she obviously didn't want to be in. Why did some people get what they wanted handed to them so readily, yet others had to go through so many trials for what they wanted? That was something which Rachel had always wondered. In many respects she counted herself as one of those lucky few, despite being in a time period so different from her own. She had Charlie's protection and devotion.

The town was fairly quiet as Rachel walked up the main high street, keeping her head low. At least she now blended in compared to how she was when she first arrived her in her pyjamas.

"Rachel?" a voice came suddenly out of nowhere. It was tinged with authority, and as she turned around, searching for the source of the voice she saw Ben Wade standing just behind her. "Out for a mornin' stroll?" he asked, looking at her, his face full of a stern expression which still made Rachel nervous.

"Yes. I just wanted to stretch my legs and get some air," she replied.

"Does Charlie know you're out an' about?" Wade asked with a hint of sarcasm present in his tone.

"No. I didn't want to wake him."

"Ah'm gonna be honest with you, ah don't like havin' you with us, but ah'm not prepared to lose Charlie because of you. If you wanna stay with him, ah suggest you clue yourself up on how to use a gun."

Rachel looked up at him and frowned, feeing extremely intimidated by him, but she wasn't going to let him see that and be amused by it. "If you're that much against having me anywhere near you, I'll go," Rachel said, standing her ground.

"And ah know Charlie wouldn't stand for that. He'd follow you. He has a loyal heart which will one day no doubt be the death of him."

"Then he'll die for you, not me," Rachel half snapped.

"Men do stupid things for women, Rachel. Why do you think ah've never tied mahself to a woman or let one join the outfit?"

"Probably because you're the type of man who only uses women for one thing."

Wade stared at Rachel for a moment, his grey eyes burning into her, but she wouldn't allow herself to back down. Then he turned around and walked away, never bothering to turn back to look at her.

Rachel thought on Wade's words which concluded everything she'd been thinking the last week and a half: the men hated her. And in all honesty, she hated them too. Charlie was the only thing which kept her close by. If it wasn't for him she'd be far away from her, making her own way.

xxx

Charlie woke suddenly, falling out of the edge of a dream. His eyes snapped open and he exhaled loudly, his heart racing after his dream. It had been yet another nightmare about his long deceased father. In his mind he'd gone back to when he was a young boy and treated no better than a dog.

Tears lingered in Charlie's eyes as he focussed and then wiped the salty beads away with his hands. As he rolled over he noticed that Rachel wasn't next to him. "Oh, shit!" he cursed, gritting his teeth and getting up. That girl seriously irritated him, but he still loved her all the same. It was her determination which bounced off him and that had gradually built up into a respect between them which had turned into a burning love for one another.

Memories swirled around his mind, taking him back to the night earlier. And he smiled. The way Rachel made him feel was nothing like what he'd ever felt before. Sex with her was unlike all the times he'd laid with prostitutes. All sensation was much more intense as she moved against him, whispering his name and wanting him inside her so readily.

Eventually he got up but in the corner of his eye he noticed something white by the door. Furrowing his golden eyebrows, Charlie got up and approached the white paper on the floor and bent down slowly to pick it up. His dirty hands unfolded the paper and inside was something he'd never even imagined. There, in bold writing were the words: **Take me to this time and place, a time where I belong. Take me back to this time and place. **

This could have only come from the old woman he'd seen out on the streets the day earlier. But how on Earth did she know about Rachel? No one else did, only him. His heart was pounding, and as he felt it thundering, he closed his eyes. How could it have been this easy? The solution to the problem had come to him instead of him searching for it, even though deep down something had prayed that Rachel could stay with him.

Charlie stepped back uneasily and fell to the bed. The paper remained in his hand for some time as his mind contemplated his next move. He couldn't go back on his promise now, but his heart so desperately yearned for Rachel and he couldn't let go of that. Rachel was the way to amend all the wrongs he'd done in his life and be the person he knew he could be rather than be the man he was out of convenience. Despite being a cold blooded killer, Charlie knew that he could never harm a single hair on Rachel's head; he'd gladly kill a thousand men to keep her safe.

All of a sudden the door to the bedroom opened and Rachel stepped back inside. Her face erupted into a beautiful smile and she walked toward him. Just seeing her walk in made up Charlie's mind for him. He couldn't sit by and let her be at risk every day.

"You alright?" she asked, sitting beside him and placing her head on his bare shoulder.

"Ah'm fine," he replied, scrunching the paper up further into his hand.

Rachel placed her hand on his cheek and smiled, then moved in closer and kissed him. The warmth of Rachel melted his cold heart. Their lips moulded together and then their tongues met.

But as they kissed, the paper in Charlie's hand still weighed heavy along with so much indecisiveness on his mind and pain in his heart.


	16. Dark Side of Tommy

A/N: It was brought to my attention that due to the fact I deleted the last few chapters, those people who reviewed before cannot do so again. Well, if you'd like to review then could you do it anonymously? I'd still love to get feedback on this story. Thanks.

**Chapter Fifteen**

The next day and the group of outlaws, plus Rachel, were moving out, ready to move onto another town and see what cash and luxuries were available there. As usual, Rachel was sitting behind Charlie, holding on to him tightly. Every now and again when they slowed down her hands would reach out from around him and gently touch his.

The sun was high in the sky as it approached mid day. Hopefully sooner or later they'd come across somewhere they could lay low for a while once more. It was extremely risky staying in a certain area too long; as outlaws the law were always on their trail, searching for them to put behind bars for good, or the worse case scenario, sent to be hung. Only outlaws who were found guilty for petty thieving went behind bars, those who were mass murderers faced the noose.

Charlie felt Rachel's hands touch his again and it somehow made that small piece of paper seem so much heavier in his inside breast pocket. He didn't care who that old woman was and how she'd come by the spell. All he cared about was seeing Rachel home, however, once problem occurred to him: the words seemed as though Rachel herself had to say the words, and he knew for a fact she'd never say them willingly. She was already adamant she was staying with him. He'd have gladly kept her hands in his forever, but if she remained here she'd probably wind up dead all because of him. There was no way he'd stand having the blood of the woman he loved staining his hands for the rest of his life.

Rachel felt herself dozing again, her head resting against Charlie's back. He'd slowed down considerably, the horse's pace becoming a mere trot. When she looked around there was only her and Charlie, Wade, Tommy Darden and Campos left. She furrowed her eyebrows and whispered to Charlie's ear. "Where have the others gone? I never noticed them leave?"

"They're goin' to the border and will be back in a few days. We should be stoppin' soon," he replied to her softly.

By dusk the group had stopped after finding nowhere to stay. "Looks like we're campin' out tonight, boys," Wade announced. "And ladies," he finished, however his tone dripped with sarcasm and he shot an evil glare at Rachel. She looked away quickly and concentrated on getting down from the saddle. Charlie took her hand and helped her down.

"You'll need to help me ride," Rachel said, a smile blossoming across her face. "You can teach me. Then I won't bother you anymore."

Charlie felt something hit him hard at her words. He'd never have that chance to teach her to ride a horse no matter how much he'd love to. A faint smile erupted on his face but he looked away, shifting his gaze from hers. "We'll have to see on that," he mumbled and picked out a couple of blankets from his saddle bag whilst Campos and Tommy prepared a fire.

Rachel noticed his change in attitude, sensing that something was wrong. "You alright, Charlie?" she asked, touching his arm.

"Ah'm fine," he said quickly.

xxx

Later that evening once the fire had been started and skinned food had been cooked, everyone sat in silence eating. Rachel knew she could get used to this life; it was all so much more simple than the time period she'd come from. The lack of technology was one downside, but she was sure she'd be able to handle it. She chewed on the meat, enjoying the taste and feeling it hit her rumbling stomach. By the time she finished there was nothing left, a positive sign that she'd enjoyed Charlie's culinary skills.

"You sure enjoyed that," Charlie said, giving her a smile. He'd noticed how quickly she'd downed her meal, not even bothering to speak.

"I've just been really hungry," she replied quietly. He was sat right beside her but she didn't want the others to hear what they were discussing. In all honesty, Wade and Tommy scared Rachel, although Campos always kept himself to himself, never bothering to talk much.

Once everyone had finished eating, Wade sat on his own with his back against a large boulder and pulled out his small sketchbook. Whenever he felt bored he would often draw objects from the environment around him and sometimes even found himself drawing the odd person or animal. Wade glanced around, trying to find something to draw, until his eyes became fixed on Rachel who was sat silently by the fire. The bright embers made light dance across her face, giving him a wonderful amount of shading to practice with.

Firstly he concentrated on the outline of her face, mainly her small, pouty lips and button like nose which wasn't particularly long. Her brow was quite small, and her hair eclipsed her ears and the side of her jaw. Slowly he formed a replica of Rachel on the paper, his pencil etching each line and shadow into the paper so neatly. Then he started on her hair, drawing each individual strand down the side of her face and neck, colouring in the detail and light which reflected off it from the fire.

Through his eyes Rachel was no more than a kid, even though she was twenty years of age, but as he drew her, he was beginning to see why Charlie loved her so much. There was an air of grace which was present in her plain-looking face. Her eyes sometimes flashed with wisdom. She surely wasn't the woman he normally thought of as beautiful, but there was something about her that outshone a lot of other women despite her very youthful appearance.

Once Wade had completely finished his drawing of Rachel, he signed the piece of artwork and shut his book away, placing it back in his saddlebag. During this time, all the rest of the group had lay down, although there was some chitter chatter still going on.

With a sigh, Wade got back down against the boulder, rested his back up against it and pushed his black hat down over his eyes. He then crossed his arms and let his eyes close.

On the other side of the camp, Rachel and Charlie lay next to one another, only a few inches between them. Both of them smiled at one another and snuggled down as well as they could under the blankets. The fire was still burning brightly in the centre of the camp and would hopefully remain that way for some time yet. Gradually, all of them drifted off to sleep, savouring the silence and peace. The moon and stars shone overhead, and due to there being no cloud cover, the biting cold atmosphere was particularly sharp tonight.

A few hours later, Rachel woke. Her eyes were heavy with sleep and she yawned. The feeling of a full bladder had once again woke her like the first night she ever spent with Charlie. She got up awkwardly, trying not to slip over any of the bedrolls and saddle bags which had been left about. The fire was still burning, although it had lost much of its momentum and had diminished to just a faint light. But it was enough for Rachel to see where she was going.

She scampered away, trying to find a secluded area and finally found one some way away from the rest of the group. She unbuttoned her pants and squatted down, relieving herself on the dusty dirt. Unknown to Rachel, someone was hanging about nearby and the sound of faint footfalls alerted her. Inhaling sharply, she pulled her pants back up and looked around, her tired eyes searching through the darkness. Nervously she edged away until suddenly she felt someone shove her hard against a boulder which was a foot or so away. Her stomach smacked it hard, making her yelp.

"Shut up, bitch!" a harsh whisper came. Then Rachel felt a pair of hard hands pressing into her backside. She struggled, twisting to get away and then suddenly felt something cold against her right temple. "You move and ah swear your brains will be scattered across the floor." Rachel instantly recognised the voice as the panic gripped her. It was Tommy. All along all he'd done was make passes at her, wink perversely and just generally be an animal around her.

Rachel knew there was no way out now. If she moved Tommy would no doubt use his gun on her. His hands continued feeling her from behind and all Rachel could do was bite her lip and tense. She prayed for Charlie to wake up as tears welled in her eyes. Then she felt her pants being pushed down. Everything was happening so much slower than when she was intimate with Charlie and it made shivers of disgust race down her spine.

"What the _FUCK_ do you think you're doin'?" a loud voice came suddenly. Rachel closed her eyes and thanked God for helping her.

"Nothin', Boss," Tommy said, moving away from Rachel and pulling at his own pants.

Wade stared at Tommy and then looked at Rachel, seeing the distinct terror in her eyes. "Get back to the camp you little shit!" Wade hissed, and then he turned his attention to Rachel, approaching her slowly. For a couple of seconds he merely listened to her heavy breathing as she stood motionless and speechless, tears dripping down her cheeks. "Keep your mouth shut, and don't even think about tellin' Charlie. Ah know him better than anyone, includin' you, and if he knows this happened, he'll rip Tommy's head off his shoulders. Ah ain't havin' that happen all caus' of you. Understand?"

Rachel merely nodded her head in obedience and watched Wade walk away from her. She felt her body grow weak and her legs buckle beneath her, sending her to the ground. Tears streamed down her face, leaving crystalline streaks down her pale cheeks. She knew now for sure that she could _never_ be away from Charlie in any shape or form. He was her protector, and no man would ever cause any harm to her without them finding themselves six feet under.

Eventually Rachel found her way back to the camp and sat back down, her shivering body lying back next to Charlie who hadn't even moved. He was still lying on his side and snoring lightly. Her shaking body moved up against him, and in that moment she didn't care if anyone was watching her. She knew full well that she couldn't tell Charlie due to what Wade had told her, but in future she'd learned that she must remain with Charlie at all times.

It took her some time to eventually drift back off, but when she did, she kept on waking up. Anxiety took hold of her and her breathing became short, shallow gasps. If Wade hadn't of woken up and intervened, God knows what Tommy would have been making Rachel do. The very thought of having that man anywhere near her made her feel nauseated.

By morning, Rachel was the first to wake after finding her sleep extremely uneven. Her eyes immediately sought after Tommy, searching for him, and then she saw him. When she saw him, his dirty face peeping out from under a grey blanket, she tensed. All she could feel was anger, disgust and panic. What if he tried again? What if next time for some reason no one was around and he actually achieved what he set out to do?

"Mornin'," a gentle voice came. And as Rachel turned she saw Charlie looking at her with a boyish grin on his face. All she wanted to do in that moment was rush into his arms and never have to leave.

"Morning," she replied quietly, her voice growing into a whisper.


	17. If Only

**Chapter Sixteen**

After her run in with Tommy, Rachel remained silent and eventually Charlie realised something was wrong. Whilst packing up from their stay the night earlier, he could see Rachel holding her arms around herself, not showing much in the way of speaking or general communication.

To confirm his suspicions that something was up, Wade approached Charlie and nudged him aside. "Can ah have a word, Charlie?" he asked, his eyes full of so many different emotions of which he couldn't decipher. Charlie moved a short distance away from the camp with Wade and looked up, squinting due to the bright sunlight bearing down on his face. "Maybe it's best you take Rachel away for a while. She's slowin' us down, Charlie, and this just ain't helpin' any of us havin' her here," he explained.

Charlie, for a few seconds, was stuck for words. Something was going on here, something that he wasn't in on at all. Quickly he glanced over at Rachel, watching her keep her head low and maintain a distance from all the others. "Ah don't want her to know, Boss, but ah found a way to get her home. Maybe if ah can convince her to go, it'll work best for all'a us." His green eyes studied her and an aching pressed down on his heart once more. Somehow Rachel was both his strength and his weakness; she gave him more reason to fight and to be the aggressive man he'd always been notorious for being, but she'd also dented his walls of anger, those walls which he'd tossed up around himself just after the death of his younger brother. That anger had spurred him on to be the very outlaw he was. Beneath all the hate, he was still human, still a man who had feelings no matter how trampled down by pain and time they'd become.

Wade watched the expressions wash across Charlie's face and with that he let out a deep sigh. "You were the last one of us ah ever thought would let a woman cloud their judgement." At Wade's words, Charlie looked up, a faint smile curling his lips upwards which were eclipsed by his strawberry blonde beard.

"Ah know in time she could be as good as the rest of us," Charlie said softly. "She has that potential, ah feel it when ah look in her eyes. But it's not fair of me expectin' that of her just so we can be together an' all. One way or the other, Boss, ah'll get her home."

"Ah'll give you three days. Meet us back at Millville. We'll do the raid at the post office without you, and then we can move on out. Ah feel it's time we laid low a while," Wade said, looking up towards the sky. "Bin movin' about a bit too much. Maybe we should settle down for a while."

Rachel sat down on the ground and placed her knees to her chest, looking out across the hills. There was nothing here, no homes, no plants, nothing. All there was out here was dirt, dust, hills and heat. Her eyes suddenly rested on the Schofield which poked out of her pants pocket. Then she looked up at Tommy, who all morning hadn't so much as glanced at her. He knew full well that Wade respected Charlie and his feelings for Rachel had influenced everyone in the outfit except him. The very thought of putting a bullet in the bastard's skull brought a sly and satisfied smile to Rachel's face.

Charlie approached Rachel, and then lowered himself down beside her. "Boss is givin' us a few days to ourselves while they do a raid. Nice of him, ah guess," he said, his voice quiet and tinged with regret.

"Getting rid of me, you mean?" Rachel asked, pessimism pouring from her tone. She then turned to look at him, smiling as their eyes met. "What do they think of us? I know they know about us, Charlie."

Charlie merely sighed loudly. "Ah wish ah knew. Havin' women on our arms ain't somethin' which happens a lot." With that he grinned at her, watching as she reciprocated the smile and nudged in a little closer against him.

xxx

Rachel and Charlie departed from the group a couple of hours later. Wade, however, placed something in Charlie's hand before the departure. "You might want this," he said, placing his other hand on Charlie's shoulder. In his gloved hand Charlie held a piece of folded up paper and as he unfolded it he looked back up at Wade with questioning and thankful eyes.

"Thanks, Boss," he said quietly, feeling a lump rise in his throat. It was a drawn picture of Rachel sitting by the open camp fire.

"Remember, three days!" Wade warned.

Charlie was thankful to have time with Rachel in peace as they rode on his horse. Due to them being alone, Rachel sat in front of Charlie so he could easily protect her should any danger occur. She rested back against him, nestling to him. "What did you have in mind for us while they're away?" Rachel asked. In response she heard him chuckle.

"Do ah have to answer that?" he asked.

Rachel felt a pang of excitement shoot up her spine and she grinned uncontrollably. In all honesty, she'd forgotten about the incident with Tommy last night and was now enjoying some alone time with Charlie. However, after a couple of minutes the smile died down from her face, sinking away to nothing. She knew she needed to tell Charlie what had happened the night earlier, but if she did, Wade had threatened her; what would he do if his second in command to the outfit suddenly turned on Tommy Darden? It would be all out chaos.

As they continued on, galloping on the horse through the baron land, things went silent. Charlie's mind was on only one thing, and that was his inner turmoil of sending Rachel home. He knew full well that if he had to ask Rachel to say the words, she wouldn't.

After a few hours of continuous riding, Charlie saw a large building in the distance, on the outskirts of town. He took them both on to it, quickening the pace of the horse as they'd not long ago slowed down somewhat.

Charlie looked up at the building, his green eyes studying the wooden frontage. He furrowed his eyebrows, searching the windows for any trace of a human being. "Doesn't look like anyone lives here…not anymore anyways," Charlie said, dropping the reins from his hands. He slid out of the saddle and jumped down, helping Rachel once again down from the animal.

Together they walked up the three steps which lead up to the building. "I don't like the look of it, Charlie," Rachel said quietly, holding his arm. "It looks creepy."

"Come on. If it's empty why can't we stay here? No one will bother us," Charlie replied, protesting against her negative views towards the building. "Kinda looks like an old brothel."

"Oh, and you go to brothels often?" Rachel asked, raising her dark eyebrow at him.

Charlie sighed. "Ah admit, yeah, ah've visited brothels in the past…" he said again, his voice draining away to nothing very slowly.

They walked into the deserted place, searching each room one by one. Downstairs there was a large lounge. There were some ornaments and trinkets still left around, but it certainly didn't look as though anyone had resided in the place for some time. Cobwebs had formed over the fireplace and old mirror which dominated the back wall.

Charlie stepped inside the lounge and dropped himself down on an old chair, a two seated couch, rubbing his gloved hands up his face. Rachel stood beside him and looked around, feeling a chill spread through her body, infiltrating through her clothing. "How long do you plan on staying here?" Rachel asked.

"Not long. Maybe just tonight…" he said softly.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, bending down to him and taking his hands in hers. "There's something wrong; you've been quiet all afternoon and it's worrying me, Charlie. What's on your mind?"

Charlie looked into her eyes, his own growing so saddened and full of grief. "Ah, um, found a way to send you home. Some old mad bitch pushed the spell under the door."

Rachel stood up quickly. "I'm not going, Charlie!" she snapped. "I told you before. I want to stay with you."

"You have a better life where you're from, Rachel. Don't you see that?!" he shouted. "How can you _want_ to stay here? Ah'm not worth riskin' your life for. Ah'm worth fuckin' nothin'!"

"I basically have nothing to go back to. I moved away to study at university and what did it get me? Nothing. I live with a bitch and slut of a room mate, and my family are so far away."

"Then go back to 'em!" Charlie voice was verging on booming by now.

Rachel cowered a little and stepped back, grimacing at his menacing tone. "Okay!" she started again, gathering her confidence back. "You want me to go home, I'll _fucking_ do it! Give me the spell!"

Charlie couldn't help but smile, getting up from the chair so he was standing directly in front of her. She was like him in so many ways and definitely had the fight inside her to ride beside him. But, as he kept telling himself, this was risky. Since joining Wade's outfit ten years ago, Charlie had seen no less than two dozen men get killed, picked off like flies. He, Wade, Campos and Kinter were the only original outfit members remaining.

"Shut up and come here," Charlie hissed, pulling her toward him with his roaming hands. Rachel felt herself be pulled and then her body smacked against Charlie's. Instantly she felt that fire burn inside her and then Charlie's hungry lips were tightly pressed against her own. His facial hair tickled her lips as they expressed their desire once more. They could no longer deny themselves.

Rachel pushed Charlie back onto the seat, showing that she too had a dominant streak within her, and quickly she mounted him, pushing her hips down against his. Charlie groaned loudly beneath their strong, hot kiss. And gradually he let his hands roam again, unbuttoning her shirt quickly. The leather of his gloves brushed over her flesh making Rachel buck inward. Her lips pulled away from his for a few moments, her breath in pants. "Let me stay…and we can do this…all we want," she whispered, nuzzling his cheek and down to his neck. Charlie merely growled and dragged her closer toward him, tugging hard at her waist.

"Don't blackmail me into lettin' you stay," he chuckled, kissing down her towards the top of her chest.

Rachel felt tears prickle in her eyes and moved away, pulling her shirt in around herself. "I don't even find that funny, Charlie," she said quietly, sniffing away the tears. Then she looked up at him; his face was so full of unidentifiable emotions. His expression lingered between anger and sadness. His green eyes closed for a brief second as he was tossed back into their agonising reality. "Before I do go home," Rachel began again, straining hard over the words. "I need to tell you something, but please will you swear you won't tell anyone?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Depends on what you're tellin' me," he replied.

"Promise me. Please," she begged.

"Alright, ah promise," Charlie said reluctantly.

"You asked me what was wrong, and well…I shouldn't even tell you this. I'm sorry…" With that she got up, ready to walk away from the situation.

Charlie stopped her, gripping her arm tightly. "Tell me!" he snapped.

"Tommy tried to…rape me." Tears fell down Rachel's cheeks in procession as she thought back on the previous night.

Charlie's face grew red as the anger suddenly swelled inside him. "Ah'll kill the little fucker!" he growled, his hands curling into tight fists.

"I was told not to tell you though. I was told that you'd go mad if you knew…I shouldn't have told you, but I couldn't hold it in. I needed to tell you because you're the only one I trust."

"Too right ah'd go mad! Why the fuck wouldn't I? Ah never trusted him…never!"

Rachel stepped up to him. "Let me stay one more night with you, and then I'll go home tomorrow." A lump rose in her throat as she said those words and looked into the eyes of the man she so dearly loved. He never spoke another word and instead took her back into his arms and kissed her, continuing on from where they'd previously broken off.

Charlie and Rachel made love again that evening under the faint, fading light of sunset. On the couch they blended into one whole being and enjoyed their last night together. Each and every time Charlie looked into Rachel's eyes he needed her more, but if their love was not meant to be, he prayed to be healed despite his previous wounds from years passed having scarred his heart.

As he laid down to rest, holding Rachel against his bare chest, he promised himself that if she left, he would never allow his heart to love again. Rachel would always remain the one his heart desired.

Holding her to him, Charlie brushed a stray, sweaty strand of hair from Rachel's face and watched her sleep. Every small drop of anger seemed to dissipate when she was close to him, and all he could do was smile. If only things had been different. If only they'd have met under different circumstances. If only…So many wishes, so many prayers, but none could be answered.

But one thing was true and had acted as a blessing to the both of them. Charlie had finally opened himself to someone and learned to love.


	18. I Want To Be Lady Prince

A/N: Thank you again for those of you who have kept up with this story. If you would like to review, could you please do it anonymously? Due to deleting some of my chapters it means that the system recognises that many of you have already reviewed 'chapter 17', but it's not this version. Stupid thing! I do love reviews and would be most appreciative of feedback especially as this chapter is one of the most pivotal and emotional of the whole story.

**Chapter Seventeen**

Rachel woke to feel something brushing through her hair; she was startled at first and snapped awake quickly, turning over and seeing Charlie lying behind her. "It's just me," he said softly, kissing her shoulder tenderly. "You were talkin' again in your sleep."

"Really?" she asked, sitting up quickly and brushing a tired hand through her hair. "Sorry if I kept you up. I know I do it a lot." Her eyes were suddenly glued to the piece of white paper which lay on top of Charlie's cream jacket- the paper which held the words to send her home and back to a place where she didn't want to be. Rachel closed her eyes, clamping her eyelids shut. Maybe if she didn't mention the spell it'd make her time with him last longer, but it wasn't meant to be.

Charlie rose from the couch, slipping off the seat from behind her and looked down at the paper. His initial reaction was the same as hers; he stared at it for a moment, the pencilled words standing out so boldly. How could one piece of paper signify so much pain? Angrily, he grabbed the paper and read the words again, fighting away the tears which were forming in his eyes. Charlie couldn't take the pain any longer and growled loudly, scrunching it up in his tight fist before dropping it to the floor.

Rachel watched Charlie's jaw clench tighter as he pulled his pants on and secured them around his waist. "Charlie?" she asked quietly, not quite sure what to say, but needing to break apart the silence which had formed between them. Slowly he turned back around, his sea coloured eyes so saddened and full of grief. "Why make me go if it's doing this to us?" she asked quietly, stepping up to him. "We can be happy together."

"How can you be happy livin' a life like this, Rachel?" Charlie shouted, his face crumpling and showing much anger.

"I don't care what we do just as long as I get to be with you. Teach me to shoot, teach me to ride," Rachel said, staring into his eyes. "Teach me to be like you and I'll go everywhere with you. I want to be an outlaw."

Charlie just scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "You _want_ to do this? You're out of ya mind, Rachel!"

"Then why the hell do you do it?!" she argued. "I don't want to be the innocent little college girl anymore. I want to be like you. This is my choice." A smile soon erupted on her face as she spoke again. "I want to be Lady Prince." With that, Charlie couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"You know ah don't do the whole marriage thing, right?" Charlie added, grinning.

Rachel looked down sadly. "I've always wanted to get married, Charlie. But if you want me to go home, I don't think I could…I couldn't marry anyone." She looked up into his eyes, letting tears spill down her cheeks. "I want to get married and have children; have a family." As Rachel wept, Charlie took her into his arms and kissed her head. He felt her fragile body shudder against him with the violence of her weeps.

"It's best this way," he told her. "Ah know it hurts, but we'll…" he swallowed hard, trying to push back the lump rising painfully in his throat. "We'll move on…" A voice screamed inside his head.

_No you won't. How can you move on? She's the love of ya life and you're watchin' her go; you can't expect to heal from that. _

As they parted from their embrace, Rachel knew this was it. Parting was what he wanted, and not because he didn't love her, but because he loved her _too much_. The pain on his face was plain enough for her to see and the way he kept his back hunched, watching absently out the front window. Charlie was a man who kept his head up high, a proud man, but today that had all seeped away. There was so much contradiction inside him that still puzzled Rachel. That would obviously be something which would always remain a mystery.

Rachel got dressed slowly, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks once again. But as she pulled up her pants, her eyes noticed the gun Charlie had given her lying on a table dominating the centre of the room. Her fingers trailed down the barrel carefully, and then she lifted it up, holding it in her palm. "Why couldn't things have been different, Charlie?" she asked absently. "Why couldn't we have met in some other place…be destined to share a lifetime together?"

"Ah don't know," Charlie replied, his voice pained and quiet.

"I never know why you're so kind to me. I see the way you are with strangers, yet with me, you protect me."

"Isn't that what all men should be doin'? Protectin' the woman who holds their heart in her hands," Charlie said, smiling at her. He watched Rachel's eyes fill with even more tears; they trailed so relentlessly down her cheeks. Then she rushed to him, pushing herself into his embrace.

"I love you," Rachel whispered to his ear, kissing his bristled cheek gently, only to find herself being pulled into a full kiss. Never before had those words felt right, but said in such a wrong situation. "I'll never forget you, I promise," she muttered as they parted for air from their passionate kiss.

Glancing down at her wrist, Rachel slowly removed an amethyst gem bracelet which she'd worn during her stay the last fortnight; however, she'd forgotten about it being there until now. She stared at it, tears swimming in her eyes and handed it to the man she loved, watching his fingers, which peeped out from the gloves he wore, take it; they gently curled around the piece of jewellery. "And you'll need this," she continued, taking Charlie's pistol carefully from the table and handing it to him. "Don't forget me," Rachel whispered timidly as Charlie fingered the bracelet in his leather-clad palm.

Charlie looked up quickly, his eyebrows furrowing over his saddened eyes. "Don't say that. Ah never could...now go. Please." It was becoming more and more unbearable the longer he remained before her, knowing she was leaving. Rachel couldn't help herself and flew at him again, tossing her arms loosely around his neck and kissed him one last time. She trembled as they kissed furiously, knowing this was the last time they'd ever be able to share a moment like this.

When they're reluctantly parted from their kiss, Rachel picked up the tossed away paper from the floor and unfolded it, pushing away stray tears with the back of her trembling hand. Slowly she began to recite the words, her voice shaking as she did so, caught up in the intense emotions she was feeling. It felt as if her entire body was about to give way; her legs were weak beneath her; her head was pounding with sheer anxiety whilst her chest ached from a breaking heart.

"Take….me to…this time and place," she began, still weeping over the words. "I can't do this, Charlie!" she protested. "Please, don't make me do it."

"Rachel, please, just do it…for me," Charlie begged, hating himself so much for making her feel this way. It was because of him her heart was breaking, but it was also allowing himself to love her which had got them both into this painful predicament. From the start he'd tried to tell himself to keep away from emotional interaction with her, but she'd made him weak inside, breaking all the barriers and melting the ice. Her kind actions, heartfelt words and wise, beautiful eyes had proven too much for him in the end, and his heart had begun pining for her.

"Take me…to this…time and place. A place where….belong….Open up time and space…to take me back to where….I belong." She eventually finished the incantation, her voice still trembling and her eyes vision blurred from the tears. Inside she felt something move, a jolt, almost uncomfortable. It felt as if her body was moving somewhere, like the ground was shifting beneath her feet.

Charlie watched, breathing deeply each and every time he inhaled, never taking his eyes from Rachel's. Her eyes were glued to his, until she was no longer there. Her image faded slowly from view, the wall behind her becoming clearer through the transparency of her disappearing form.

Alone and in torment, Charlie fell down on the couch behind him, putting his head in his hands. For the first time in his adult life, he wept….

xxx

Rachel allowed the tears to stream down her face as she saw the form of her shared apartment slowly form before her eyes. How long had she been gone? There, on the dining room table was a large pile of mail. Flipping through the letters, Rachel saw each letter was addressed to her. She dropped them back onto the pine wood surface and sniffed loudly, pushing the last tears away.

"Oh, my God! Rachel?" a familiar voice came. Laura rushed into the kitchen, her brown eyes wide with confusion. "What are you wearing?" she asked instantly, which drew a small smile to Rachel's face. Those were some of the first words Charlie had spoken upon meeting her.

"Like you care. You bitch!" Rachel hissed. "All you lot did that to me just as a joke. But you know what? I actually preferred being there to here; I met people who cared more than you did."

Laura stared at her room mate for a moment in slight fright, noticing the burning rage in Rachel's eyes. Her rage seemed to have intensified since she last saw her. "But....we didn't mean for it to happen....we didn't know it'd work...," Laura stuttered uneasily.

"I suggest in future, Laura, that you keep away from me unless you want to find your teeth scattered about the place," Rachel said once more, taking off her hat and brushing the stray dust particles from the brim.

"What happened to you? I know you can be defensive, but….," Laura's voice trailed off.

Rachel smiled wickedly. "I met a man who showed me that it's alright to hold a grudge."

A few moments later and Rachel rushed to her room, noticing that most of her belongings had been packed in boxes. "What the hell is this?" Rachel asked, turning around and glaring at Laura angrily. "Glad you got rid of me?"

"We didn't know what'd happened to you, Rach! Be reasonable!" Laura screeched, tossing her long dyed blonde hair behind her left shoulder. "You've been gone nearly three weeks."

"Be glad it's all boxed up because I'm moving out as soon as I can find a place," Rachel growled.

Laura grimaced a little noticing that there was a strange smell lingering around Rachel. She set her eyes on Rachel's hat and moved her eyes downwards, studying each piece of her outfit in turn. "Where WERE you?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Rachel turned on her spurred heel. "Arizona, in the year eighteen eighty seven if you MUST know! Thanks to you and your freak friends."

On Rachel's bed she noticed the old hat which had sent her through space and time. She picked it up slowly, placing it against her chest and sighing deeply. It caused a painful lump to rise in Rachel's throat as she imagined him, smiling mischievously from under his hat brim.

"You okay?" Laura asked, furrowing her black eyebrows.

"No, I'm not!" Rachel snapped furiously. "Now leave me alone!" With that she slammed her bedroom door in Laura's confused face.

Light shone in through the curtains, making Rachel squint as she dropped onto her bed, holding Charlie's hat in her hands. How had it come to be in the basement of the apartment anyway? She couldn't understand it, but at the moment didn't care. All she wanted was to be back beside him.


	19. The Future Is In Your Hands

A/N: As you've probably gathered, I am in love with the song 'Pieces' by the band RED. They are just amazing and if you want to listen to some superb music, I suggest getting hold of their first album 'End of Silence'. I think the lyrics fit the characters very well and so that is why I've used it as a backdrop kind of thing in their relationship.

I do not own the lyrics of 'Pieces'. I have merely used them for the entertainment factor of this fan fiction.

This chapter does become a little choppy as it's supposed to be over the period of about three days and I need to get the main events in, so it's meant to be written like this. Enjoy!

**Chapter Eighteen**

**[New York, 2009]**

The first night being back in her own bed, Rachel cried herself to sleep, clinging to the old dusty hat in her arms. She held the hat to her chest and lay in a foetal position, her legs curled upwards. The run in with Laura had been swift and Rachel had announced she was leaving as soon as she could organise her tenancy at another apartment. That would probably mean dropping out of college and acquiring full time work. How she was going to manage was something she had no idea of. It wouldn't have surprised her if she'd been exited from her college course due to a near three week absence.

Rachel woke in the middle of the night, startled by frightening images, although as she opened her eyes they were forgotten. The moon was high up in the sky, illuminating the ground below and sending rays of light through the window. A full throb was in her temples, the remnants of the pain she'd felt upon falling asleep. Rachel grabbed her iPod which she'd taken from a box earlier which was full of her belongings, and then she ventured into the kitchen.

Everything was so familiar, yet so different. She flicked on the light and watched the room become lit up; the light burned her eyes for a moment, and she batted her lids, trying to get used to it. Then she turned on her iPod, switching the dial so the song 'Pieces' by RED played softly. Memories swirled in her head, taking her back to that night she spent in the holding cell in the middle of some town in Arizona State. It made her remember singing it and the feeling of Charlie's hand through the bars.

_**I'm here again  
A thousand miles away from you  
A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am  
I tried so hard  
Thought I could do this on my own  
I've lost so much along the way**_

She didn't quite know why she was torturing herself like this and listening to the very song which made her think of him. Truth was that she didn't want to stop thinking of him; Charlie Prince would always remain in her mind forever and she couldn't face the thought of ever forgetting any aspect of him.

_**Then I see your face  
I know I'm finally yours  
I find everything I thought I lost before  
You call my name  
I come to you in pieces  
So you can make me whole**_

I've come undone  
But you make sense of who I am  
Like puzzle pieces in your hand

Rachel rubbed her brow, trying to stop the impending tears as the piano and violin played away in her ears, causing yet more heart wrenching thoughts to filter through.

"You alright, Rach?" a voice came, blurred and distorted behind Rachel's music. Quickly she pulled the white buds from her ears and looked up surprised, seeing her friend dressed in her dressing gown. Laura's dyed blonde hair was a mess and her eyes were bagged up, showing signs of another late night from partying.

"Not particularly," Rachel replied in a matter of fact tone. "I'm just wondering if things really do happen for a reason as some say." Her green eyes trailed across the table and her fingers touched the wood, drawing invisible lines down its length.

Laura sat down opposite her friend at the table and lowered her head, trying to get down to eye level with Rachel. "What happened to you out there, Rach? You should be glad you found a way back...but you look as though you regret it."

"I do," Rachel whispered, her lips trembling as she tried so hard to push the tears away again. "I met a man….and…" she began, trying to think on her words carefully. Laura remained patient, listening intently, deeply sorry for everything she'd put Rachel through. "We…love each other…and he made me come back here. It was back in the eighteen hundreds, basically living in a Western. I can't get my head round it still…"

"Who was he?"

Rachel smiled weakly, her eyes still glued to the table and her mind forming a picture of him. "His name was Charlie. He found me when I got there and took me with him."

"Sounds like a gentleman."

Rachel laughed. "Not at first; he was the furthest thing_ from_ a gentleman. He tied me up the first day…"

"Sounds kinky, Rach. You sure you want to tell me the rest?"

"Come on," Rachel giggled. "I'm serious. I thought he was going to rape me, murder me…something. But never once did he hurt me. To say a lot of the people around then knew him as ruthless and cruel that was the side of him I never saw…well, to me anyway. I suppose being an outlaw does that."

"You mean he was like a cowboy?" Laura asked, shocked, yet amused at the thought. Her brown eyes were wide and her expression showed much interest.

"I suppose you could say that, yeah. That hat you used to send me back, it was his. That's how I found him, or he found me, whichever way around it was."

xxx

Laura let Rachel lie in the next morning, wondering when she was going to wake. She rested her arms on the kitchen counter with a steaming mug of coffee in her hand, letting the conversation from the early hours drift through her mind. She couldn't comprehend that a spell had actually worked; things like that only happened in TV shows and movies, but now they apparently happened in real life. Suddenly Rachel appeared in the doorway, her long hair tangled and her nightgown untidily slung on around her shoulders.

"Want any breakfast?" Laura asked kindly, approaching the fridge.

"I'll be fine for now; I'm not sure if I could stomach anything," Rachel replied, grimacing at the very thought of food. "My stomach feels as though it's doing summersaults."

A while later after being cornered into eating at least one round of toast, Rachel was found in the shower, standing with her back to the curtain, huddled in the corner. She let the raining water warm her and clean away all the dirt which had accumulated. Her hands rested against her stomach as she closed her eyes tightly, imagining so vividly Charlie standing there with her. Breath caught in her throat as she let her mind drift back to the last night she spent with Charlie, the night she and he had made love, knowing that it was for nothing. All of their love and feelings had been for nothing, only bringing about heartache and destruction in its wake.

Once out the shower, Rachel wrapped a large white towel around her body, draping it over her chest and tying it at her side. The stifling heat reminded her of the first day when she met Charlie and rode in front of him, scared and hungry. "Are you alright in there?" Laura's strangely concerned voice came suddenly.

Rachel glanced at the door as if Laura might be standing there. "Yeah, I'm fine," she called back, lying. Truth be told, she wasn't fine. She was far from it. Only one person could make her fine, make her happy and bring that lost smile back to her young face. But he was gone now. Surely if she went back he'd let her stay, or would he? Charlie was so unpredictable, which was a personality trait Rachel so dearly loved about him. The man was on fire. It was a fire Rachel so desperately yearned for, something she needed as much as she needed to draw breath.

xxx

Laura and Rachel sat opposite one another in a small diner just a five or ten minute walk from their shared apartment that afternoon. Rachel absently picked at her slice of pizza, pushing it around her plate and occasionally taking a mouthful of her Coke. "Do you wanna talk about him?" Laura asked, glancing across the table, her brown eyes actually showing, for once, a trace of concern.

Rachel felt strange being back in her normal clothes which consisted of a pair of jeans and a black hooded sweater bearing the name of some unknown band. "Not much to tell really," Rachel replied awkwardly, shifting across the squeaky red leather seat.

"Oh, come on. He must be some kind of fantastic hunk," Laura said playfully. "Tell me." She curled her lips around her straw and drew up a mouthful of 7up.

"You wouldn't think so," Rachel replied sadly, drawing back a little from the table and sighing as she crossed her arms. She rubbed her forehead hard as if trying to push away the happy and not so happy memories she had in her mind about Charlie. "I didn't think so much at first, but he grew on me, I suppose."

"One thing I want to know though, if you think so much of the guy, then why did you come back here and how?" Laura asked, enjoying another juicy mouthful of pizza.

"He made me. He didn't want me to get hurt, so he made me come back. He found the spell but I'm wondering if something like this works though, how come more and more people don't use it?"

"There's only one thing for it," Laura said quickly, grabbing her cell phone from her purse. "I ask Stacey who did it and ask where she got the spell from."

xxx

The Goth girl who had sent Rachel through time and space stood with the room mates that very afternoon, holding the book in her hands, flicking through the pages. "Hang on, there's something here in fine print at the bottom," she called out, her podgy finger shooting to the bottom of the yellow and aged page.

"_Only destiny can intervene in time and space, and if destiny accepts you, time will move parallel. The tracks of time will be forged. Destines move side by side_. What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Stacey looked up from the book, her blue eyes stained with confusion.

Rachel stood gobsmacked, her mouth literally open, although no breath passed.

"It means...I was meant to meet Charlie," she whispered. "It all happened for a reason," she said again, letting breath catch in her throat as she clutched her abdomen and fell to a chair. "I need to go back, Laura."

Laura got to her feet and stood beside Rachel, touching her shoulder consolingly. "Look, whoever the guy was, he's right. You're safe here. Back then it's a wonder many people survived very long. Rach, you're safer here."

Stacey remained silent, her eyes averted from the argument which began to brew. "I have to go back!" Rachel half screamed. "It said in the book about destiny. I'm meant to be with him. It makes sense. Don't make me live here without him." Knowing that she was getting nowhere, Rachel stormed away down the hallway, slamming her bedroom door as she went.

Laura closed her eyes, pressing her hands into her face. "What do I do? Whoever this Charlie guy is, he's right, she doesn't belong there. It's too dangerous."

"What happened to her?" Stacey asked in bewilderment, placing her book down on the table carefully.

"She was in the Wild West or something in eighteen something, I dunno. She met this guy, a cowboy and now she's head over heels for him. How is all this possible though? Shit! She just turned up in the kitchen last night dressed in a shirt, pants and boots....typical cowboy stuff."

"This is way too deep," Stacey said quietly.

xxx

Two days later, Rachel and Laura were found walking down the main high street only a bus ride from their apartment. Laura had done her hardest to persuade Rachel to remain in their time period, arguing with her each day since her return. Finally, Rachel had given in, knowing that she and Charlie were right: she was safer in this time and place. But nothing could erase the deep seated pain she felt in her chest, so heavy and so grieving.

Rachel held her head low, listening to Laura babble away about a guy she'd met at university. "He is so gorgeous, Rach. The guy literally makes your legs buckle."

No man could have ever made Rachel's legs buckle like how Charlie Prince did. Part of her very being felt as if he had been ripped away, leaving raw pain and grief behind. "Nice," Rachel mumbled, glancing up at the grey clouds which were threatening rain.

"I'm sorry," Laura apologised, touching Rachel's arm consolingly. "You've got to learn to move on from this, Rach. I'm sure he wouldn't want you hanging around like this, all upset and worried about him."

"I don't want to move on," Rachel replied quietly, yet her voice was tinged with a slight trace of irritation. "I don't want to move on and meet someone else. I had two boyfriends before him and neither of them made me feel like this."

Suddenly a rumble of thunder banged through the warm air and immediately afterwards, pounding rain began to fall. "Quick, get in here," Laura called out, dashing down the sidewalk towards a small store tucked away at the end of the row of buildings.

The two friends dashed into the small store, sighing in relief as they finally hit a warm and dry atmosphere. "Disgraceful weather isn't it?" a voice came from further on down the store. The voice, like Rachel's, was accompanied by an English accent.

The store was extremely full and packed of shelving. On each shelf were books on mystical subjects surrounded by packs of Tarot cards, crystal balls, healing crystals, packs of runes and other spiritual mediums. The smell of incense wafted up Rachel's nose suddenly, making her cough a little, but she stifled it, not wanting to appear rude.

A grey haired lady appeared from out of nowhere, coming out from a small back room. She was dressed very smartly in a hippy-like skirt which was accompanied by a black, long sleeved top. She smiled at the girls, her blue eyes gleaming from behind her silver-rimmed spectacles. "Let's take a look at you," she said, approaching the girls and looking at their faces. Immediately, she found herself drawn to Rachel. Her dark eyebrows furrowed as she looked into Rachel's saddened green eyes. "There's something about you, love. Your heart is aching for someone, someone you know that you shouldn't feel about the way you do. Charlie, is it?"

"Oh my God," Rachel said in amazement. Then she fell into stunned silence. "How do you know that?"

The lady smiled. "I can see it in your face. It's obvious. You're in love and you miss this man. Anyone with eyes can see it, love."

"But how did you know his name?" Rachel asked, her eyes widening. She'd heard of psychics, but this was just beyond belief; to actually stand before one and hear them utter his name.

"I can just see it in you. He was destined to be your prince." With that the lady winked playfully, as if emphasising her words.

Rachel swallowed hard at the word 'prince'. How could she know this? All those times Rachel had teased Charlie about his name. "W…what else can you tell me?" Rachel asked.

The lady smiled. "I have a lot to tell you, Rachel, but it'd be unfair for me to do it for free, as much as I'd like to." Rachel was in so much awe and amazement that she completely ignored the fact that the lady knew her name. Her mind was too occupied with Charlie.

Ten minutes later and Rachel joined the lady in her backroom, along with Laura who had remained quiet the entire time. The lady held a deck of Tarot cards in her hands and began to slowly place them down upon the silk-lined table in a spread.

"Right," the lady said, taking a sip from her glass of water and leaning across the table to look upon the cards. "I don't need to tell you that you moved from another country. Anyone can tell that in your accent," she laughed. "You love writing, and that's what brought you here. You want to be a writer. I can tell you, love, you have the talent. That's apparent, but it's not your true destiny. Somehow, and I can't see why, but you were born into this life when it should have been with the man you love."

Her eyes brightened as she chuckled to herself. "You made an impression on him, that's for sure, love. It's not telling me much about him, but what I can see is that he loves you, more so than he lets on. He'd literally walk to the ends of the Earth for you."

Rachel couldn't help but break down into tears. Laura placed her arms around Rachel and glared at the woman who had genuine concern in her eyes. "I'm sorry, love. I'll stop if you want," the lady said quietly, her hand reaching across to comfort Rachel.

"No, I'm fine, but thank you," Rachel replied, speaking through her tears.

Rachel sat through the rest of her reading, listening intently to what the lady had to say which was mainly about her past back in England. "Your future lies in your hands, Rachel. If you decide to go back to him wait for the sign. Don't rush right now; wait for the sign to make itself known to you. Then you'll know." Upon those last words, the lady began placing her cards back into a pile.

"Thank you," Rachel said weakly as she got up from the table, worried she'd topple over as a whole sea of emotions filled her heart.

"I'm so sorry about all this, love. I do hope things work out for you."


	20. Time Moves Parallel

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've recently started a new job and haven't had much time for anything. So my writing has suffered. Events in this chapter are from the film mingled with scenes of Rachel, so I do apologise if anything is off; I've tried my best as I haven't watched the film in some time; thanks to my good friend Debbie for helping me with some of the dialogue. You're a star! We've all seen the film so I'm not going to do a blow by blow account of it. Here is the next chapter. Please review. 

**Chapter Nineteen**

**[Arizona, June 1887]**

Charlie walked into the saloon behind Wade, keeping his head low as he did so. Behind him were Campos, Kinter and Jackson. He couldn't help but feel a sly smile spread across his face, thinking on how that bastard Darden had took a bullet in the skull from Wade. How he'd kept his hands from around the smug little shit's throat still puzzled him after what he'd done to Rachel, or rather, attempted to do. It had been two whole days since she'd returned to her own time, leaving Charlie behind. Angry outbursts had become more frequent from him since the outfit had re-formed without Rachel riding with them; however, he'd seemed to cling to Wade a little more than usual, keeping by him as often as possible.

Once the money had been counted from that morning's raid on a Pinkerton coach, Charlie stepped up to the bar, watching Wade eye the maid. For a second he let his eyes fall to the wooden surface of the bar, thinking back on how he'd look at Rachel like that, wanting her. Wade ordered a round of drinks for his outfit and watched them all line up, one beside the other along the length of the bar. Mockingly, Charlie lifted his shot of whiskey, ready to give a toast. "Here's to the four we lost in battle; and here's to the Boss...who had to say goodbye to Tommy Darden today....and that's too bad." The words referring to Tommy rolled sarcastically off Charlie's tongue and a sly smirk slithered across his lips. In all honesty, he was glad the little fucker was dead.

Wade then spoke up to his men, his grey eyes stern. "Proverbs thirteen three: He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; he that opens his mouth too wide shall bring on his own destruction."

"Amen," Charlie said softly.

"Tommy was weak. Tommy was stupid. Tommy is dead," Wade said, his voice growing a little more gruff and irritated.

"I drink to that," Charlie said quickly, downing his whiskey. He let the hot liquid pour down his parched throat, and tried hard to push away his painful memories of Rachel which would not leave him be. The rest of the men parted, leaving only Charlie and Ben Wade at the bar.

Charlie looked down again as he watched Wade's grey eyes study the maid behind the bar. He couldn't stop thinking about Rachel, and standing here beside Wade who was pre-occupied with a woman didn't particularly help matters. "Marshall's only half stupid; he's gonna be back soon," Charlie began, his voice softer this time. The memories of Rachel once again seemed to be weakening his natural defences of anger and hatred.

Images of Rachel flashed before his eyes and before he knew it, words came tumbling out his mouth. "Gonna cross the border. Ah won't be far...ah'll wait for you." For that split second in time, Charlie felt as if she were there standing right beside him and the words were meant for her. _"Ah'll wait for you." _Of course he would always wait for her.

"Alright, Charlie," Wade said, his eyes still glued to the maid. Charlie meanwhile looked away, realising his words; his eyes shifted and quickly he moved away, embarrassed.

Charlie walked out of the saloon and out onto the main high street of the town. His green eyes squinted beneath the brim of his hat, searching through the early morning sunshine for the rest of the outfit. No matter how much he tried to harden himself to the current situation, the pain became more and more unbearable. It dug into him, twisting inside and imbedding itself in Charlie's deepest depths. At night when he thought of her, it became so hard to breathe; the memories temporarily stopped even his simplest bodily function. Why was his life full of so much pain and sadness? After his violent childhood and dark teen years which had developed into a cold and shut off adulthood, something had come to him, a light which shone brightly through all those twenty six years of anger, hatred, violence and selfishness. Now that light had disappeared again, shooting back from where it came and Charlie knew he'd never see that light again and feel the warmth it brought to him.

xxx

Charlie sat on his horse, watching and waiting. How the hell had Wade got arrested? Everything that morning had happened so quickly; first he was standing in the saloon after counting out their profits from the stagecoach raid that morning, and then he watched the law dragging Wade out of the place in cuffs. Now he was watching them escort him to some run down shack in the middle of nowhere. As the coach stopped so did Charlie, his green eyes watching for activity. It was now his mission to get Wade out of this predicament.

Under the diminishing sun, Charlie waited still. In his breast pocket he pulled out the paper which was starting to weigh so heavily there, as if pressing on his heart, the one place which had been so badly damaged of late. Then he saw her; the drawing Wade had given him rested between his fingers, the edges fluttering gently in the wind. His green eyes trailed sadly down the drawn lines, wishing so badly that she'd somehow re-appear beside him...and this time stay. Charlie grit his teeth hard and angrily shoved the picture back in the inside pocket of his cream leather jacket.

**[New York, September 2009]**

Rachel spent most of her time now trying to keep her mind off Charlie which was a hell of a lot harder said than done. Laura seemed to have changed her tune and general behaviour towards Rachel; no longer did she look down her nose at her and scoff at her, but rather now she listened, showing that somewhere inside she actually gave a damn about her roommate.

Each night away from Charlie proved more and more difficult. It might have seemed more comfortable lying in a proper bed for once, but the comfort of having her love beside her proved even more satisfying. Whilst not physical warmth, the emotional warmth was enough to make her burn inside. His hat remained next to her or in her arms as she glanced blankly through the darkness, letting tears drip silently down her cheeks.

One particularly cool morning, Laura's friend Stacey joined the room mates at their apartment. She was the girl who had encouraged everyone into saying the original spell which had sent Rachel hurtling through time. The overly made up Goth girl sat opposite Rachel at the table with Laura to her left and looked through the yellow, aged pages of the spell book she'd used. "I've never known stuff like this actually work. It's mostly done for pranks," Stacey said, her dark eyes studying the page carefully which had the spell written on it. "Wait, it's got something in small print at the bottom here..." she mumbled, her chubby finger tracing the line, reading the print.

Rachel craned her neck over, trying to get a better look at the page, her elbows digging hard into the wooden table. "What's it say?" she asked impatiently.

"_Only destiny can intervene in time and space, and if destiny accepts you, time will move parallel. The tracks of time will be forged. Destines move side by side_. What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Stacey looked up from the book, her eyes stained with confusion.

Rachel stood gobsmacked, her mouth literally open, although no breath passed. "It means...I was meant to meet Charlie," she whispered. "It all happened for a reason," she said again, letting breath catch in her throat as she clutched her abdomen and fell to a chair. "I need to go back, Laura."

Laura got to her feet and stood beside Rachel, touching her shoulder consolingly. "Look, whoever the guy was, he's right. You're safe here. Back then it's a wonder many people survived very long. Rach, you're safer here."

Stacey remained silent, her eyes averted from the argument which began to brew.

"I have to go back!" Rachel half screamed. "It said in the book about destiny. I'm meant to be with him. It makes sense. Don't make me live here without him." Knowing that she was getting nowhere, Rachel stormed away down the hallway, slamming her bedroom door as she went.

Laura closed her eyes, pressing her hands into her face. "What do I do? Whoever this Charlie guy is, he's right, she doesn't belong there. It's too dangerous."

"What happened to her?" Stacey asked in bewilderment, placing her book down on the table carefully.

"She was in the Wild West or something in eighteen something, I dunno. She met this guy, a cowboy and now she's head over heels for him. How is all this possible though? Shit! She just turned up in the kitchen this morning dressed in a shirt, pants and boots....typical cowboy stuff."

"This is way too deep," Stacey said quietly.

Rachel flew out the door half an hour later, half running down the street. Sweat dripped down her brow and her breath came in short gasps. She needed answers, and she needed them now. Angrily, Rachel shot into the psychic's store and fled into the back room where the lady carried out her readings. "I need information!" Rachel demanded, holding a few bills in her hand and placing them on the table. "Tell me about this spell and what happens between me and Charlie."

The psychic looked up at Rachel, completely unsurprised by the young woman's sudden appearance. "I see you've been told about your destines?" the lady asked. "Please sit, Rachel."

Rachel did as requested and sat opposite the psychic, her eyes wide and her posture showing much impatience. "Please, just tell me everything you know."

"One thing I picked up when I last saw you but never mentioned was how you got back here. It wasn't by accident you got back. The truth is, Rachel, events have changed and the only way everything would go according to plan was by you coming back here. You still need to wait for the sign...But the person who intervened and got you back here was...my great grandmother. You see, all the women of my family have all been powerful psychics: my mother, my grandmother, great grandmother and so forth. She sensed you Rachel, and because of her the spell became available to you in this time also....she found out about that spell purely by accident after meeting a few like you who had gone through time accidentally."

"I don't know if I can believe all this..." Rachel said, placing her hand to her head. "It's too much."

"I know it's a lot to take in, love. Just know that wherever Charlie is, he loves you dearly and that's something which won't ever change. I can feel that when I sense his impact on you. Your destines are now twined; he moves at the same pace you do. So if you say that spell again, you will return to him, it still being the same number of days gone since you left."

Before Rachel left, the psychic handed Rachel an old sheet of paper. "Here, you'll need it. But, remember, wait for the sign...You'll know when you need to use this." Rachel looked at the paper, reading the words of the spell, those words which had been blessed and cursed her life.

**[Arizona, June 1887]**

Charlie lay awake most of that night, having followed Wade and the men escorting him as far as he could. His back ached from lying on the dusty ground and his mind would not shut off from what had happened that day. It seemed as if his whole life was shadowed. Rachel had been the light he needed, and that had now faded; now his father figure, the man he looked up to and worshipped was facing the noose. Angry, fatigued and cold, Charlie tossed and turned, unable to fall into any kind of sleep. Everyone he loved was slipping away, out of his grasp. Was this due to all the atrocities he'd committed since joining Wade's outfit? Was this God's punishment for all the men he'd killed, all the fornication and all the money he'd stolen?

He wasn't going to lose Wade. There was no way he was letting another person slip away from him like Rachel had done. The pain and anger made his resolve stronger by the second. And as the new day dawned, he was ready to face anything thrown at him...even if it meant walking to his death.

**[New York, September 2009]**

On the fourth day of being separated from Charlie, Rachel got up the strength to sit in front of the computer she shared with Laura for work. Next to her was the spell the psychic lady had given her the day previously.

Logging into her space, Rachel sighed and took a long, slow mouthful from the glass of Pepsi which rested next to her arm. Holding her hand to her face and musing for a second, Rachel finally decided to just do it and exhaled loudly, opening up Internet Explorer.

Nothing prepared her for what she encountered next. In the search bar, she typed Charlie Prince, only to be faced with one article that immediately stood out in bold lettering. 'Notorious Outlaw of Nineteen Century.' Sighing again, Rachel clicked the link only to be face to face with his photograph, black and white, distorted by time.

For a few seconds, Rachel studied his photograph, admiring his eyes which always seemed to burn, yet have a slight trace of sadness in them. As usual, he wore his Stetson, his gaze at the camera cold and deliberate. Fighting back the impending tears, she moved on down the article reading the small paragraphs of his biography.

'_Charlie Prince was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Apart from this, much of his background is unknown, only that he had a younger brother named Thomas who died as a young child. After running away from home, grieving for the loss of his brother, Prince was found by an outlaw gang, fronted by Ben Wade._

_Prince proved an extremely valuable member to Wade's group and remained in the group for ten years, dying at the age of twenty six in Contention on June, 17__th__ 1887 during a famous showdown in the town's high street. He died as a result of Wade turning his gun on him as he got onto the train to Yuma Territorial Prison. _

_Some believed Prince had a secret lover, although her identity will always remain a mystery .Eyewitness accounts claim that a woman travelled with the gang on several occasions only days before Prince's death. In his left breast pocket was found a hand drawn image of a woman, sitting next to a fire. Unfortunately there are no official records of this woman, but her very presence did indeed make an impact on the known ruthless Prince. _

Rachel, at this point, couldn't stop the tears falling down her face. How could it be? Everything fitted so perfectly; she was his secret lover. Suddenly she felt nauseous as she realised something...._'time moves parallel'_. Her destiny with Charlie was still moving at the same pace and this meant.....she left four days ago on the thirteenth.

She shot to her feet, feeling her hands shaking. Today would be the day Charlie's life came to a violent end. Her legs buckled as she tried to move, sending her toppling into the table, almost knocking her drink off completely. She had to get back.

Charlie's hat was the first item she grabbed as she rushed into her room after regaining the lost feeling from her waist downwards. The clothes she had come back through time in were lying over the back of her chair, which she grabbed fiercely, dragging them on over herself. Her hands still trembled as she imagined the gun shots, bodies hitting the ground, but more importantly, her Charlie. That was her goal...to save him, hold him again.

And that was the thought she kept hold of as she held Charlie's hat in her hand and recited those all important words. Then her form was no more.


	21. Love Knows No Boundaries

**Chapter Twenty**

**[Arizona, June 1887]**

Rachel felt her body jolt suddenly and her insides churn uncomfortably. Already she felt herself shaking, her nerves on edge. But her stomach fluttered with anticipation at the thought of being beside Charlie once more.

She glanced around, taking in the view of stores, saloons and old wooden buildings, tatty with age. Gunshots cracked in the distance, one after another. Rachel soon filled with dread at those sounds, breath catching in her throat as she ran as fast as she could down the street. Not caring about anything but Charlie, she began calling his name loudly.

Tears of frustration slipped down her cheeks as she called again and again, following the sounds of the gunshots. People rushing away from the scene glanced at her in confusion.

"Yah'd better get inside, lass," one old man called from the doorway of his small shop.

Rachel shot across to the man, breathing loudly, it coming out in small gasps. "Please help me, sir. I'm looking for Charlie Prince." Her face was flushed and already her legs began to ache as the muscles pulled in her calves.

The old man's eyes grew dark. "No, ah don't know!" he snapped, slamming his door behind him. Rachel's mouth fell open; she couldn't believe it. The man obviously knew of Charlie because as soon as his name rolled off her tongue, the old man's facial expression of concern dissolved.

"Please," she begged under her breath, running down the street and slowly noticing the bodies littering the ground. Her eyes surveyed each one in turn, silently thanking God each and every time she discovered that Charlie was not among them. "Charlie?!" she called loudly, half screaming.

The gunshots became louder, almost deafening as she saw the Contention train station in clear view; a train waited, smoke pouring from it. A huge smile lit up her face as she made out the distinct form of Charlie. "Charlie?" she called again, running to him. But he never turned.

Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Ben staring at Charlie, his face knotted somehow in anger and grief. He fingered the gun in his hand.

"No, no!" Rachel screamed as loudly as she could, racing the many yards towards Charlie. In that moment, thankfully, he heard someone calling him, a familiar voice.

"Rachel?" he mumbled to himself, turning around, only to see his beloved flying through the air towards him. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he lost all feeling in his body; no more pain, only love. His head was thumping and he felt dazed, as if it was all a dream, or Ben had already pulled the trigger and he was now experiencing some kind of euphoria before travelling to his final resting place.

Rachel caught hold of Charlie and rushed in front of him, glaring at Ben Wade with venom in her eyes. "You even think about pulling that trigger and it'll go through me first!" she called out.

Ben's lips seemed to curl up into a slight smirk. "Charlie's an animal, Rachel. We all know he is."

"He is because no one cares enough about him. He rides around after you day after day, treating you like some kind of god," Rachel spat.

Charlie stood motionless, listening to Rachel defend him so loyally. No one had ever spoken to Ben Wade in such a manner- not even the toughest of men. Even those still standing of Ben's gang stared at Rachel, admiring her blazing courage and now, finally, seeing why Charlie loved her so much.

Ben looked down at the body of Dan Evans who had escorted him to Contention, and watched as his son attended to him, and then stepped up onto the train. There was simply nothing more to say.

William, Dan's son, couldn't help but get to his feet and stare Rachel in the eyes, his ice blue eyes fierce yet full of unshed tears. "How could you possibly love him? He killed my father, and you're willin' to just forgive him for that?" he asked, knotting his brow.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but one day you'll realise something," Rachel began, stepping closer to William, her face full of genuine sadness and grief for the boy's loss. "Love knows no boundaries. When you love someone you'll do anything for them. I hope you appreciate that some day."

Rachel turned around and looked at Charlie, his face caked with blood and dirt. His eyes were glazed with tears and the realisation that his devotion to Ben Wade had been futile. A lump caught in his throat as the train carrying his Boss began to move off down the tracks. The pain filled him up once again and his legs suddenly shifted from beneath his body.

"Charlie!" Rachel called out, grabbing him quickly before he hit the ground. "I've got you," she whispered, kissing his cheek softly and preparing to take him somewhere quiet. "Help me get him inside," Rachel called to the rest of the gang who were behind Charlie. Together, Rachel holding Charlie and the other men of Wade's gang made their way through town to the hotel. Slipping in and out of consciousness, Charlie succumb to the pain where the bulls had stampeded him.

xxx

In an old room somewhere at the back of a hotel, Rachel sat beside Charlie, gripping his hand tightly as a doctor peeled his clothes from his body, taking a better look at his injuries. The greying fellow prodded the thick bruising which was forming on Charlie's sides. He'd been cornered downstairs and bribed with a hundred dollars cash to check Charlie over.

Suddenly he wailed in pain. "Get off me," Charlie yelled angrily at the old, shocked man. "Leave me."

Rachel leaned across, grabbing his arm quickly. "Charlie, calm down. He's only helping you," she reassured. Instantly she noticed his posture calm considerably as he went to lie back down on the bed. His glare however remained glued to the doctor.

"I don't want him touchin' me," Charlie whispered to Rachel.

Rachel glanced up at the doctor and the few men of Wade's gang surrounding the bed. "Can you give us a while, please?" Rachel asked politely.

Charlie watched as the men filed out of the hotel room door, leaving just him and Rachel on their own for the first time in four days. Not caring anymore, Charlie jumped up from the bed, his shirt open and rushed at Rachel, grabbing her around the waist. He pulled her in against him and kissed her fiercely, listening to her moan beneath his kiss. "God, ah missed you," Charlie groaned as his lips kissed gently down her neck.

Even though Charlie was still covered in dirt and dried blood, Rachel didn't care. She was reunited with the one she loved and that was all that mattered to her right now. The flame in her heart was burning brightly once again and she smiled, almost laughing as she and Charlie embraced tightly, kissing furiously.

The pain numbed as all Charlie felt was love and true happiness. Rachel rested her head against his chest and kissed the skin tenderly, then rested her hand against where his heart was. She closed her eyes and snuggled against him. "Let me stay with you this time," she begged quietly.

Charlie closed his eyes and rested his head against hers, brushing his gloved hand through her long locks of brown hair. "Ah couldn't watch you go again," he whispered, letting all emotion he had within him flow into his voice. "It was the hardest thing ah've ever had to do in mah life."

Rachel looked up at him, watching his eyes begin to fill with tears which she'd never seen before. In just three weeks, Rachel had broken the ice within Charlie's heart. "I'm sure it wasn't. You've killed people in the past. Seeing me go I'm sure wasn't that hard."

Charlie brushed Rachel's flushed cheek with the back of his hand and smiled. "But outta all them people, I never fell in love with none of 'em."

After the small heart to heart with Rachel, Charlie allowed the doctor to check his wounds which only seemed superficial, but the bruising hurt like a bitch. As the elderly doctor washed his wounds with a special medication to stop infection, Rachel remained next to Charlie, watching and thanking whoever was above that she'd been given a second chance. If she hadn't, Charlie would be lying amongst the dirt and filth, dead.

The town had grown quiet down below as the doctor left the room quickly and Charlie got to his feet. He stood next to the window and glanced out, feeling one stab of sadness make itself known in his heart. Would Ben have pulled the trigger? "How did ya know?" Charlie asked suddenly, turning back around to face Rachel. "You knew."

Rachel looked up into his eyes and stopped in her tracks. "I found out what Ben would have done to you. I couldn't let that happen," Rachel said quietly, but soon she became choked with tears. She found herself swallowed by Charlie's embrace. "I'd have done anything to stop that....I couldn't-"

"Shhh," Charlie whispered. "Nothin' happened to me, did it? And it was because of you."

"I'll be with you now wherever you go," Rachel said with a broad smile.

Charlie chuckle to himself and tightened his grip on her. "Mah little Lady Prince," he said, watching and listening to her laugh in his arms.

"We need to get you cleaned up," Rachel said, looking up at Charlie and smiling. "How about I go downstairs and get the maid to fill up the bath, and you get undressed?"

Charlie grinned from ear to ear. "Or you could help undress me," he said softly, pulling her in closer still, her waist pressed firmly in against his. "We got four days to catch up on." Rachel felt shivers and tingles of anticipation rush through her body at Charlie's arousing words.

"Nothing would delight me more, Mr. Prince," Rachel replied, stepping away and looking at him with a teasing smile across her face. "I'll go and get the water, you wait here. Then we can see what happens." Rachel winked at Charlie and left the room quickly, heading back down the stairs to the main counter at the front of the hotel.

Charlie waited impatiently in the small room and took off his dirt encrusted shirt, throwing it to the floor. Then he slipped off his cut off gloves and sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling to himself. Maybe there really was someone watching out for him after all, even after all the atrocities he had committed in his twenty six years. Night after night since Rachel left he'd prayed for her to come back to him somehow. And now she had. She'd saved his life. Charlie knew that he would be forever in her debt.

"The maid should be up in a few minutes," Rachel announced as she re-appeared at the door and stepped inside.

Charlie stared at her longingly for a few seconds, watching her step around the bed toward him. The bed lowered somewhat as she sat beside him and placed her soft head on his shoulder. Rachel ran her index finger teasingly up the inside of his thigh, moving on towards his groin. Charlie swallowed hard and remained still as she straddled him slowly, making sure she didn't hurt him further. "I missed you so much," she whispered to his ear, kissing his cheek and then down his jaw. Her hands ran idly down his back, approaching the waist of his pants.

The outlaw groaned as Rachel clasped her legs shut around his waist. "I'm not hurting you, am I?" she asked, kissing his shoulder. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Just shut up and come here," Charlie replied huskily, pressing his lips against hers.

Rachel groaned loudly under Charlie's demanding kiss, having missed this so much about him. "I love you," she muttered, breathless. Quickly, however, to Charlie's surprise, she began shedding her shirt quickly, leaving only a white bra beneath.

Charlie's hands instantly curled around her body, tackling the clips furiously. He remembered trying to unclasp her bra last time they were intimate and winded up letting her do it due to his inexperience with modern clothing. With a huge grin set on her face, Rachel pressed Charlie down firmly on the bed and unclasped the bra herself, pushing her body further against his crotch.

"Now you can see what it's like to let someone else take the lead," Rachel said softly, leaning over and leaving a trail of warm, loving kisses down his chest. Her tongue flashed out, catching around his nipples, teasing his small buds. Charlie growled, closing his eyes whilst clamping his hands firmly on her curvaceous waist. Rachel couldn't help herself and forced her hips down onto him with a heavy force.

For a moment she looked into his bright eyes, falling in love even more with him as he placed her hand against his lips and kissed her small fingers gently. His eyes were a pale green, laced with ocean blue, so turbulent and wild.

Charlie knew this was the only time his heart would ever truly feel love and he wanted to feel this way for eternity beside her. Never did he realise that true love existed; visiting prostitutes and eyeing up the ladies for his own satisfaction and indulgence. Intimacy with Rachel was unlike anything he'd ever felt before: it felt right and made his whole body, heart, mind and soul fill with an emotion he had never come close to feeling before. She opened him up, defrosting the ice which had accumulated over time across his heart.

Rachel let herself loose in Charlie's arms, letting his hands caress every inch of her slowly. He wanted her to feel everything, enjoy everything and be content.

Suddenly the door knocked, dissipating the spell from around the couple. "Damn it!" Charlie hissed as Rachel pulled herself from him. He watched Rachel longingly as she walked to the door, leaving him to spread across the bed and stare at the white washed ceiling for a short period.

Rachel guided the maid over to the small bathroom and quickly she began pouring the hot water into the small tub. Over a space of around twenty minutes, the maid eventually filled the tub completely. "That should be enough, Miss," she said, giving Rachel a quick, nervous smile and then shifting her glance to and from Charlie as she left.

"Your bath is ready, your Majesty," Rachel said quietly, leaning on the bed and kissing Charlie tenderly.

Charlie tossed Rachel's shirt away again after she'd pulled it back on awkwardly to greet the maid. "No, no. Come on. You need a wash and to relax," Rachel instructed, pulling Charlie up by the arm.

"Only if ya come in with me," Charlie replied, getting to his feet and looking into Rachel's eyes. She knew full well he meant it just by the serious expression on his face.

"That sounds a good proposal," Rachel replied, walking off in front to the bathroom. On the way she began pulling down her pants, and glanced back at Charlie. "The quicker you get in here, the quicker we get to have fun."

Charlie never answered and followed her into the small bathroom, never even bothering to inspect it. He just rushed in at her, pulling her against him and kissed her.

Rachel felt her back hit the wall with a dull thump and quickly she fiddled with her pants, stepping out of them. Then she began her duty of taking off Charlie's as he continued kissing her with great vigour. "The bath is that way, Charlie," Rachel said jokingly, pointing behind him.

She unwound from his embrace and stepped over to the tub, only wearing her underwear. "You coming in or what?" she asked with a wink.

"Too right, ah am," Charlie replied eagerly, dragging off any last pieces of offending clothing.

Both of them stepped into the bath, naked, and sat before each other in the hot water.

Rachel felt over to the small table which was situated beside the tub and picked up a clean sponge and bar of soap. "Let's get you clean," she whispered, kneeling up and watching Charlie slide down into the warmth of the water, his muscles relaxing.

Nothing could make Charlie any happier than this. He'd got Rachel back, although was lying in a bath, his body filling up with deep bruising. The sponge traced the line of his jaw, taking away all the dirt and blood which had dried there. Charlie rested his hand against her cheek, sighing and smiling broadly.

Rachel dropped the soap and sponge and straddled him, feeling his erection grow once more. "I want you," she whispered to his cheek, pressing her breasts against his chest. "I want you so much."

"Do ah look like ah'd say no to you?" Charlie replied. "Ah could never say no to you." With those words, Rachel shifted herself into the appropriate position and let her opening push over Charlie's erection. They groaned in union and steadily built up into a regular rhythm. Rachel couldn't help but kiss him over and over again, letting her tongue slide into every crevice of his mouth.

Charlie kept a firm grip on her hips, helping her along his full length. Automatically he'd felt his climax approaching after being so long without her, and now here she was again, making love to him so passionately.

Rachel smiled down at him, feeling him move in and out of her as she pulled her hips back and forth. Water splashed around them as they moved, moulding with their joined bodies. The tip of his erection kept pressing against the deepest depths, pushing her closer to the edge until she gave way and moaned, the waves of her orgasm washing over her.

Just hearing Rachel enjoy their intimacy brought Charlie to his peak. With one final low growl, he spilled his seed inside her, paired with the pleasurable sensation of the waves shooting through his groin.

As Rachel pulled from Charlie, his seed washed away in the water, leaving little evidence he'd been inside her. Rachel rested her head on Charlie and sighed.

Throughout the Midwest of America, a new outlaw became known, the second in command to the new outfit fronted by Charlie Prince. She was only known as Lady Prince.

**.Fin.**

A/N: I have ideas for a sequel. Now, I'm not going to post the story if no one is interested. I've been posting the last few chapters of this and have hardly received any reviews at all for it. If you're not bothered with it anymore, then I just won't post the sequel. I'd be grateful if you'd just let me know one way or the other if you want the sequel or not. I sure hope you enjoyed this story. It's been a very pleasurable experience writing it. Thanks – Jay (a.k.a. Mad Furry Cheshire Cat)


	22. Author Note Dated 7th November 2009

7th November 2009 – Mad Furry Cheshire Cat

To all readers of Lady Prince!

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading this story and putting up with my very indecisive mind when it comes to where the story should go. I had about three different ideas for an ending, but this is the one that most people seemed to like the sound of, so I went with it. Seeing as I finally finished Lady Prince, I can now let slip the exact ideas I had in mind. When I originally began drafting this story with my friend Christina, the idea behind Rachel taking the name Lady Prince was actually to avenge Charlie's death when she goes off to find Wade and hunt him down. In my original thoughts for this story, Charlie was going to go with the route of the film and be killed by Ben Wade. Then when Rachel came back to find his body, she took on the name Lady Prince. I loved the name for the story so much that I actually edited the story to fit the title. Another ending was Charlie coming forward into our time and staying with Rachel.

I'm not the best type of writer at all. I tend to have floods of ideas all going in different crazy directions; at one point I had about four endings in mind for Lady Prince, but obviously only one could make the final edit, and it was this one. I really wanted for Rachel to save Charlie, despite her originally finding him dead after the events of the film.

As for a sequel; I have already uploaded the prologue to my sequel which is entitled Betrayal, Corruption and Bad Deeds. I will warn you all in advance though, I've recently began working on a draft for my own novel so I'm not sure how much time will be left now to write fanfiction. I still love writing fanfiction, but I really want to get on top of this book as the ideas are eating away at my brain, begging to be written out. If you've noticed on my profile page, I also have a Supernatural story on the go and some X-Men stories. I'm really busy at the moment with stories and also my work. I now work at a Family Law firm as an apprentice and most times I come home shattered and go to bed early. My only proper time for writing is weekends, although Christmas isn't too far away now so I should have some time over the holiday when I'm off work (I'm off from Christmas Eve up until about 4th January).

Thank you all SO much once again! I really appreciate it.

Jay


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